Coming Back to What?
by SanctuaryAgent
Summary: Ten months after Robin left Storybrooke with Marian he comes back home to find Regina and be with her. When he gets to town he has to face the tragic truth that his soul mate died only a month earlier, leaving him and another small soul behind. (Character Death) Charming/Hood/Hatter Brotp. Takes place after season 4 winter finale.
1. Coming Back to What?

**Coming Back to What?**

How long had it been since he had driven on this road? How long had it been since he had seen these buildings and glanced upon these faces? How long had it been since he had glanced upon the face he had desired to see the most? The face that had haunted his dreams and been a phantom in his wake leaving a sweet scent of apples and vanilla at random moments that made his heart ache even more than it already did with each breath he took. How long? _Too long._ Robin thought as he drove his truck through the town. _Ten months too long._ The archer told himself as he reminded himself of the tally he kept for every day he had been away from his soul mate.

It had taken ten months for Robin to find the way back to Storybrooke after that heart wrenching day of goodbyes and last kisses. He had tried for a while to make things work; he had tried to remember his love for his wife as they moved on into the new realm before them. For months he had searched his heart for that love that he couldn't find. As he worked construction he would try to remember his moments with Marian. As he took Roland to school he tried to remember that love for the maiden that he had met so many years ago. But as he lay in bed at night by her side he would always come to the same conclusion. He would never be able to find that love again, he had left it behind, he had left his love with his soul mate, the very woman he would never be able find again.

_Until now._ He reminded himself with a smile as he drove onto Mifflin Street. After ten long months Robin would be able to hold her close and kiss her senseless. After painfully long months away from her Robin would finally be able to see her elusive smile and look into her enchanting eyes. After the hardest ten months of his life he would finally have back his Regina, and he would never let her go again.

Robin pulled up alongside the front of the mayor's mansion, his truck perfectly parked by the curb right in front of the main gate. Looking up at the large white mansion from the window of his truck Robin took a breath and glanced at the windows of the home, half expecting to see Regina staring out of one, her eyes looking at him, and a beautiful smile painted on her breathtaking face. But he knew that his appearance wasn't one to be expected and that was part of the reason he had not contacted anyone else, he wanted to surprise her. He wanted to see the shocked look spear across her face, then watch as it is overtaken by elation and love, he wanted to catch her before her mask could be put on.

Smiling the thief opened the door of his truck and stepped out onto the pavement, his booted feet moving soundlessly up to the front gate of the mansion. Opening the gate as carefully as he could Robin stepped through and closed the gate in a swift silent movement. Being a former thief defiantly gave him the upper hand when it came to sneaking around. Soon he was standing in front of the large white door of the mansion, his eyes skimming over the golden 108 before he reached a slightly shaking hand up to the doorknocker. Taking a deep breath Robin swung the knocker several times before straightening up, his hands behind his back and waiting.

Several seconds passed and nothing happened, he heard no movement inside. With a bit more confidence the archer knocked again, his rapping slightly louder but still after several minutes it went unanswered. _Perhaps she isn't home?_ He wondered and looked over at the drive way and saw the infamous black Lincoln parked in its usual spot. He looked back at the front door of the house and his brow furrowed, _Where could she be? _He asked himself and shook his head. He knew his best bet would be to find Henry or Emma and ask them, they would know where to find the former queen if she wasn't already with them. "Alright, off to the Charmings apartment." Robin murmured to himself. Turning he jogged back to his truck and hopped into the driver's seat. Once he was driving along the different streets again he let himself imagine what it would be like to see Regina again after so long apart. In the grand scheme of things it might have only been ten months, but to Robin it had felt like ten hundred life times. His hands held onto the steering wheel as he pictured their last moment together all those months ago. He hadn't wanted to go, he never wanted to let go of her hand and cross the town line, he had never wanted to be the reason that she would be alone and heartbroken. It pained the archer to the point that he grimaced when he remembered how strong his true love had tried to be during their moments at the town line together, she was always trying to be the strong one and he loved her for it, but he also loved that he was one of the few people to have ever seen what lay behind those tall walls she had built up around herself. And what lie on the other side was something so beautiful, so rare and so breathtaking that even the thought of it made Robin smile.

In what seemed like mere seconds Robin found himself pulling into the parking lot of the apartment building the Charmings lived in. He knew he was ready to see his queen, he knew he was ready to look at her and say her name over and over again as he kissed her gently in greeting and held her in his arms, he was ready to apologize for leaving, and more than anything Robin was ready to promise to Regina that he would never leave her side again. He felt a slight shiver race down his back as he imagined looking into her beautiful whiskey brown eyes and remembered how he used to be able to just gaze into those golden orbs for what seemed like hours and never get board in the slightest.

With a silent prayer that he would find Regina in the apartment, Robin opened the door to his truck and got out. He walked into the building and up the stair well towards the Charming's apartment, his steps becoming a bit slower as he got closer. Suddenly he was beginning to fear being confronted by the woman he left, he wondered if she would hate him, if he would look into those eyes he loved so much and see nothing but hurt and betrayal. _No!_ Robin told himself firmly. _Regina knows that I never would have left her willingly! She knows that I only left because Marian wouldn't have made it on her own! Regina knows that I wanted to stay with her! She is the one who told me that I had to go! She will understand… I hope…_ He thought and swallowed hard as he felt his heart ache at the thought of what the past months must have been like for her.

Robin knew that no matter what she wouldn't have been alone. He knew that after he left that Henry and Emma and Mary Margret and David would have stepped up and been the family and the loved ones she would have needed. He trusted them that they had been the support system for her that he knew they always were for each other. Above all else Robin knew that Henry would have stood by his mother no matter what, the boy was good, he loved his mother and wanted her to be happy. That thought brought a small smile to Robin's lips and he remembered walking through Storybrooke with Regina and Henry after breaking the Wicked Witches curse at the docks.

That small happy memory was the only boost Robin needed in order to break himself from his frozen state in front of the apartment door and actually knock.

Waiting several seconds Robin looked down at his boots and held his hands behind his back. His head shot up when the door opened and immediately his ice blue eyes made contact with the mint green eyes of Mary Margret. "Robin…" The woman breathed and looked shocked to say the least at the sight of the archer.

Robin gave her a small nod and shifted a bit in front of the door. "Hello Mary Margret, I was wondering if Regina was here." He said and was surprised by the open speechless open mouth that adorned the face of the woman in front of him.

"I… she…" Mary Margret struggled to get her words out as she looked up at the archer that had left Storybrooke ten months prior. "David!" She finally called.

There was a thump and the sound of scraping that came from inside the apartment and suddenly the face of David appeared from behind the door. "What is it? What's wrong?" The prince asked.

"Look." Mary Margret said softly and nodded subtly towards the man in the doorway.

Peering around the door David's eyes widened as he saw Robin standing there patiently. "Robin?" The prince asked.

"Yes David, it is I." Robin said with a polite nod. "I'm sorry to disrupt you, but I'm looking for Regina. Is she here? Or do you know where she is?"

There was a paused and David looked from Mary Margret to Robin. With a sigh he turned to the archer and said, "Robin, can you give us a moment."

"Of course." Robin said though he couldn't help feeling curious as to why the couple was acting so off, and concerned that if Regina were in the apartment that they might not let him see her.

"Thank you; we will just be a moment." David said and closed the apartment door. Robin stood and waited, his curiosity and concern only growing as he heard the muffled sounds of a quiet argument going on right behind the door in front of him. His mind began to race with the worried thoughts that the prince and princess were of the opinion that Robin was no longer worthy of Regina. He feared that Regina herself might have given them direct instructions to keep him away from her if her ever were to return. He dreaded that the woman he loved might now hate him.

Before the dread and fear could grow much further the door swung open and David stood alone in the doorway facing Robin. "Robin, why don't you come inside?" The prince paused. "We need to talk."

.

.

.

Robin sat on the couch in the Charming's apartment, his hands on his knees as he sat facing David. "I take it she doesn't wish to see me?" Robin asked softly and looked at the table in front of him.

There was a pause and Robin heard David let out a shaky breath. "Robin… it's not that she doesn't want to see you." David began to explain.

"Then you do not wish me to see her?" Robin questioned and looked up at David.

David shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "No, we… we want you to see her Robin… believe me… we do…" David continued and found his voice beginning to abandon him.

Robin looked at the price and wondered what had made the monarch suddenly so devoid of a vocabulary. "Then what is it then? If she wants to see me, if you want her to see me, what is stopping it? Is it Henry? Is he angry at me for leaving her?" Robin countered, his blue eyes analyzing the prince.

As if a great weight had suddenly been placed on David's shoulders the price slouched down and placed his forehead in his hand. "No Robin, it isn't Henry. Robin…" The prince began and paused biting the inside of his lip and taking in a deep breath. "She can't see you. She isn't here…"

"Then where is she?" Robin demanded feeling like the prince was porously trying the waste the time he could be using trying to find Regina.

There was another long paused and Robin looked into David's eyes and saw the wet unshed tears being held within them. _No…_ He thought as his mind began to piece it all together.

"I'm sorry Robin." David said and reached forward to put a comforting hand on the archers shoulder. "Regina… she died." The prince informed and a steady teardrop rolled down his cheek.

_No! _Robin's brain shouted as the words were spoken aloud. _NO! NO! NO!_ He screamed internally and felt stiff. "No…" He gasped and his teeth clenched together. "NO! NO! SHE CAN'T BE!" He screamed and brought his hands up to the top of his head as he jumped to his feet and began to walk towards the door. "SHE CAN'T BE! SHE CAN'T BE!" He yelled over and over again. "REGINA CAN'T BE DEAD! I'VE COME BACK TO HER! I'VE COME HOME TO HER! SHE CAN'T BE GONE!"

David got to his feet and hurried after Robin. "Robin please, come sit back down. I know, I know it hurts and I know you feel angry but please come sit back down. We need to talk." David insisted and felt horrible trying to calm down a man who just found out his soul mate had died.

Robin turned fast to face David, his face red with anger and wet with tears. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?! WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP IT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER?!" He hollered at the prince.

"Robin! Please come sit down. Let me explain." David said as more tears dripped down his cheeks. "There is more you need to know." David insisted.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED!" Robin roared and it sounded broken with anguish.

"SOMETHING WE COULDN'T HAVE STOPPED NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE WANTED TO!" David finally yelled back.

"WHY THE HELL NOT? YOU ARE ALWAYS SO DETERMINED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE MAKES IT OUT ALIVE AND HAPPY! SO WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? WHY DID YOU LET REGINA DIE!" Robin screamed.

"WE DIDN'T LET HER DO ANYTHING!" David said and took a breath trying to cool down, he knew Robin was upset. He knew that he himself and Mary Margret and Emma and Henry and basically everyone was very upset. "You know Regina." He said in an attempt at a calmer tone. "She never let anyone stop her from doing what she wanted!" His voice broke at the last word and he looked down.

Robin took several seconds, his mind racing with everything that had just happened. His brain trying to process the fact that he would never see the fiery and enchanting woman that was Regina Mills ever again, that he would never see his soul mate, his one true love ever again. The thought brought him to his knees; his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to breathe but felt like every breath was smothering him. "And… why… the… hell… would… she… have… wanted… to… die?" he gasped out as he cried on the ground.

There was a silence and Robin saw David kneel next to him as the archer sobbed against the ground. "So…" The prince began but couldn't finish the words.

"So that her daughter could live." A broken voice sounded from the other side of the room and both men looked over to see Mary Margret standing with tear dampened cheeks, in her arms was a small bundle wrapped in a light purple blanket. "Regina died so that her daughter… your daughter could live." She said as she looked right at Robin.

"My… my what?" Robin chocked out and attempted to sit up enough to see inside the small bundle.

"Your daughter." Mary Margret voice quavered as she spoke and held the baby close.

_Daughter!? _Robin's mind shot the word repeatedly. _Daughter! Daughter! Regina's daughter… my daughter… our child… Regina… child… daughter…_ His brain kept spewing the words at him and he had no clue what to do with them. His mind felt like all order had fled it and left him with nothing but chaos. "Wh-what is her na-ame?" He managed to say after close to ten minutes of saying nothing and staring at the bundle with tears running down his cheeks and heavy breaths.

Mary Margret held the baby close and looked down at the small child in the blankets. "Regina named her Danielle." She said with a watery smile. "Danielle Robin Mills."

_Danielle Robin Mills. _Robin thought and looked at the small bundle of blankets that held his daughter. _Danielle Robin Mills. _He thought again.

_Danielle Robin Mills._

**Hey guys, so I know this is sad but believe me if I do continue there will be happy moments. Robin will love his little girl with all his heart and will try to be the best father he can be for this little girl. But of course he will need some help along the way. If I continue I plan for a Mad Hatter/ Robin Hood/ Prince Charming Brotp. Robin's two new besties will help him through the trials of raising his little princess. Plus if I continue I plan to add in the story of how Regina got through the months without Robin and also have Robin make sure that his little girl will know who her mother really was. So let me know if you think I should continue! Please comment and review! Love you all!**


	2. Finding Out

**Finding Out…**

_**Breathe, just breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth, repeat and just keep breathing. **__Regina told herself as her wide golden brown eyes stared down at her shaky hands. Gripped gently between her delicate fingers was a common run of the mill pregnancy test, this one however had a little pink plus adorning it that she couldn't pull her eyes away from. __**Breathe Regina! Breathe!**__ She commanded herself as she sat on the side of the tub in her large bathroom, her lungs screaming for air. The shock of the positive test results had stunned her so badly that she felt she was having to forcibly reboot her entire system from head to toe. "I… I'm pregnant." Regina whispered to herself and the words brought on a cascade of mixed emotions. Joy and jubilation flooded her entire being as she thought about the wonderful words she had just uttered, but such blissful feelings were quickly countered by dread and sorrow. She felt herself smile and weep at the same time, her hand flew up to cover her mouth in order to muffle the loud sob she felt rising in her throat. Salty tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she looked down at the pregnancy test still held between her fingers. _

_**What am I going to do? **__She wondered as she began to shake slightly her tears rising from both elation and terror. She knew without question who the father of her unborn child was, there was only one man she had let that close to her in years, and now he was gone, he had left, she had made him leave in order to save his wife and keep his son from losing his mother yet again. It had been so hard for her to let him go and now she was going to carry his child. __**Robin… I'm pregnant with Robin's baby… **__The thought filled her with bitter sweet happiness. She would finally have a child of her own, one that no one could take from her, and the child would be hers, given to her by Robin. But her child would be fatherless, her baby would never know Robin, it would never get to meet its father and he would never know the baby, their baby, ever existed. She leaned back against the wall, her head bowed as she cried. __**He will never know.**__ She thought to herself and immediately felt more tears travel down her cheeks. The thought that Robin would never get to know the child that she would bear him was so painful. It took a great deal for her not to let out a quick scream, she wanted to, she wanted to scream out and beg fate to bring him back, but she wouldn't. So instead she sat and thanked whatever higher being had blessed her with the child that was growing within her, the child that was theirs, hers and Robins. This child was a blessing; it was something that, though small, it was already becoming her entire world. Regina cried and hung her head, this child would be beautiful, it would be a part of Robin that she could have with her always, and even if the thought of neither she nor her child having Robin in their lives brought her to tears, the overwhelming love that she already had for this beautiful being growing inside her made up for every crystal droplet that ran down her cheeks. _

_**I know, I know this baby is ours Robin and I always will. **__She reminded herself, swearing to the baby, to Robin, and to herself that she would always remember it. Regina wiped her tears away, a strong and radiant glimmer of light burning within her at the thought._

_Finally after close to fifteen minutes of trying to recompose herself, Regina stood up and put the pregnancy test in the trashcan. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands before looking at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was a mess and was smudged all around her eyes; she couldn't help the soft laugh that came from her throat as she mentally made fun of herself for how awful she looked. However with a wave of her hand her makeup was fixed and once again perfect. She looked at herself in the mirror and her gaze fell down to the reflection of her flat stomach that was covered by the fabric of a cream colored blouse. She couldn't stop staring at the place were within the next few months her child would grow because even though her stomach was flat now, soon she would start to show. The idea of carrying a baby herself made the former queen smile a small genuine and beautiful smile. She raised a hand to her flat stomach and placed it against the fabric of her blouse. "Hello little one." She greeted. "This is your Mama and I love you very much." She said softly and closed her eyes, standing in front of the vanity and letting herself just enjoy the moment. It was the first moment of true happiness she had felt since before Robin had left, and it made her smile a little bit more as she thought about how even without him being here himself, he had still managed to make her the happiest woman in the world for at least one moment. Taking a breath Regina kept her eyes closed and said in a sweet and soft tone, "And so does your daddy."_

_._

_._

_._

Robin sat on the floor, tears burning his eyes as he looked at the bundle in Mary Margret's arms, the bundle of blankets that held his daughter. "Dan… Danielle Robin Mills?" He asked in a shaky broken voice.

Mary Margret nodded her head, her eyes and nose red from her silent crying. "Yes. Regina named her after two of the people she loved most, the two people who brought happiness into her life when she thought that there was none left for her." The former princess explained. "She told me that that is exactly what Danielle had done for her from the moment she found out she was pregnant."

Robin's mouth opened and his jaw muscles moved a bit but he was unable to form words. A soft chocking sound escaped his throat as he placed his hands on the hard wood floor beneath him. _Danielle Robin Mills. She named our daughter after me… and after Daniel. Why? Why would she do that… we caused her so much pain! Daniel died… and I… I left her. _He thought to himself and several more tears ran down his cheeks as he let out a sob.

"Wh…?" He gasped, unable to complete the question due to a soft broken cry that escaped him.

Suddenly Robin felt a hand on his shoulder and tilted his head to the side to see David beside him. The prince looked at Robin and as if he could read the archers mind he said, "Regina never blamed you, she never hated you. She thought of Danielle as a priceless gift you had given to her… a part of you that she would never lose. She named your daughter in honor of all the happy memories she had of the two men whom she loved, not the painful ones." The prince reassured and glanced over at the bundle of blankets that Mary Margret held. "She loved her child and I heard her say it every day." David looked back at Robin and they looked into each other's eyes as David tried to reach past the curtain of grief and reach for his friend that was buried deep inside. "And every day Regina would whisper to Danielle, every day of her pregnancy Regina would tell Danielle something else." David paused and made sure Robin would truly hear the next words he spoke, the words that the archer needed to hear most of all. "She would tell her baby that you loved her too."

Robin felt his heart break at the thought of Regina whispering words of love to her pregnant stomach, telling their child how much she loved her and how much he loved her. The thought was agonizing, it tore into his very soul and made him pray like he had never prayed before, he prayed that he could turn back time, that he could stay with her and whisper such words himself. Robin wanted to go back in time to that moment all those months ago and he wanted to stay with her, he wanted to pull himself away from that cursed town line and push his past self back into Regina's arms and embrace her. "How could she have not hated me?" He asked in a hushed voice.

David glanced at Mary Margret when he heard the archer's question. The woman gave her husband an encouraging nod as she held the sleeping baby in her arms. David nodded and looked back at Robin, it was such a painful sight to see, David knew that if the roles were reversed that he would look exactly like Robin. Taking a breath David spoke, "Because she loved you." He said. "And no matter what happened, she always did. She knew you Robin, she knew that if you could have that you would have been by right her side through it all, through every moment of every day. She knew that you still loved her and that you would love your child too."

"I… I was her soul mate, I was her true love… and I left her." Robin stammered.

"And then you came back." David pointed out.

"I came back too late, she is gone. She died and I wasn't with her, I left her alone… and she was pregnant with my child. What kind of man does something like that? What kind of man am I?" Robin asked David as the archer began to feel hatred towards himself building up within him.

"You are the man that Regina loved and trusted, you are the man who gave up your true love in order to save an innocent life. That is something that I don't think I could ever do, something I would never have been able to do." David admitted and knew in his heart that if he had ever had to make a choice like that that he would have been too selfish to make the sacrifice Robin had. "And right now Robin you are the man that Regina trusted and needs to be the father of her child." David asserted.

Robin looked up at David his eyes red from crying, "I don't know if I can." He admitted and looked at the purple blankets in Snows arms.

David shook his head and looked at Robin. "You can Robin, and you want to know why?" David asked. "Because Danielle needs you, she is small and defenseless and has already lost her mother, she needs her father. She is your daughter Robin; she is your little girl. I missed my chance to watch my baby girl grow up and I would give anything to undo that. Danielle is your baby girl, it is your duty to protect her and love her and that is something I know you can do. It is something Regina knew you could do. And it is the thing that Danielle _needs_ you to do." David emphasized.

The words spoken by the prince seemed to break through the invisible wall that had been built up around the archer. The speech resonated within Robin and a spark of life and determination surfaced in his sky blue eyes. He looked up at David and met the princes' eyes, then his gaze turned to Mary Margret and he pulled himself to his feet. Slowly he approached the woman and looked down at the bundle of purple blankets. "May I hold her?" He asked the small short haired woman.

Mary Margret looked up at Robin and smiled, with a nod she softly chirped, "Of course." Gently she passed the delicate bundle into the arms of the outlaw, her eyes watching Robin's as he took his daughter into his arms for the first time ever. Almost instantly she saw the blue orbs that belonged to the archer fill with love as he looked down at the sleeping form of his daughter. "She's beautiful." Mary Margret whispered.

Robin looked down at his daughter, his little Danielle. The word beautiful didn't come close to how he would describe the priceless treasure he held in his arms. His eyes took in her every feature from her soft already curly dark hair, to her small nose and mouth. He looked up at Mary Margret and David and realized he must be smiling because both of them where looking at him with wide, delighted smiles on their faces.

When Robin looked back down at the baby in his arms he gasped in surprise, his mouth opening ever so slightly in shock. Bundled up within the purple blankets in his arms were the stunning golden brown eyes that Robin hadn't seen in months, his now awoken daughter stared up at him with those curious wide whiskey colored eyes and Robin bit his lower lip and chuckled at her expression as he stared back at her. It was stunning how much she looked like her mother; she had Regina written all over her, that was of course until she smiled. Robin couldn't help but let out a light laugh of amusement when Danielle smiled, because of course her adorable little cheeks were adorned with the most perfect pair of dimples to ever be seen.

Robin stood there with his little girl in his arms and felt fresh tears stinging his eyes. These tears however where not ones of sorrow, they were ones born of joy and love, the overwhelming love that he felt for his baby girl. "Hello little one." He said in a gentle tone. "This is your Papa and I love you very much." He uttered and she smiled up at him. He lifted one of his fingers to her tiny hands and let out a light and love filled chuckle when her small fingers wrapped around his finger. He took a breath and gave another smile, this one a bit more watery then the last as he brought his lips down to her forehead and gently kissed it. He pulled away slightly and whispered to Danielle, "And so does your mama."

**Hello! So here is another update! I know these are short but that allows me to update them faster. I really hope you guys liked this chapter; I know it might have been a bit rough and a bit sad. Sorry if you felt like they were OC, I was trying my hardest to make sure they weren't. Please leave me reviews or comments or both, it really helps! And I want to make you all aware that you will be getting Robin's part of the story with Danielle as well as little flash backs to Regina's story while she was pregnant with Danielle. Thank you so much for reading, I don't own OUAT but I wish I did! LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	3. Truths Revealed

**Truths Revealed **

_Regina stood in front of the worn green door of the apartment building, her hands smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles in her dress out of habit as she hesitated to knock. __**Do I really want to do this?**__ The former mayor asked herself. __**Can I really put something like this on Henry's mind? He shouldn't have to worry about me; he is already so focused on operation Mongoose. What if he thinks that he has to be the one to look after me every moment of the day? That wouldn't be fair to him. **__Her hands moved over the fabric of her dress as she pondered her situation, unconsciously her right hand paused over her abdomen and she held it there, a small smile rising on her lips as she tilted her head down to look at her stomach. She was only a few weeks into her pregnancy and her stomach was still flat with no sign of the small life growing within, but still Regina would take random moments out of her day to hold her unborn child close so that it would know how much it was already loved.__** What am I thinking! Of course I should tell him, he deserves to know that he is going to be a big brother!**__ The queen thought and her small smile grew a bit as she decided to proceed. _

_Raising her hand to the door Regina gently knocked her knuckles against the painted wood. She stood and waited a moment, her hand that once rested on her abdomen now moving to push her dark hair out of her face as she looked up. It took several heartbeats but eventually the green door opened. "Regina!" Mary Margret greeted with a smile as she saw her former stepmother standing in the doorway. _

"_Hello Mary Margret, I was wondering if Henry was here." Regina returned the greeting to her once mortal nemesis._

_Mary Margret opened the door a bit wider as she shook her head, her smile still in place. "No, he's out with Emma right now grabbing some groceries. But you are welcome to come in and sit down to wait for him to get back." The princess offered._

_Taking a moment Regina considered the idea of turning down the offer and not telling Henry about the big news. But almost as soon as the idea entered her mind, Regina shoved it away and gave Mary Margret a nod. "Thank you Mary Margret." She said with a small but genuine smile as she entered the apartment. "This is very kind of you dear." She added as she looked around at the minor changes that had taken place in the living space. Her golden brown eyes glanced over at the crib and all the baby toys spread out on the carpet. Almost instantly the former mayor had to press her lips together subtly and blink a few times in order to hold back tears. __**Cursed hormones!**__ She thought angrily._

"_Of course Regina." Mary Margret replied as she closed the door. "You're family, and family is always welcome here." The princess chirped as she turned her back on the door and looked over at her former stepmother. It shocked her to see the strong former Evil Queen holding back tears and immediately Mary Margret's smile dropped. "Regina are you alright?" She asked worriedly._

_Regina's gaze snapped over to Mary Margret and she realized that her attempts to hide the tears in her eyes had failed. Taking a breath she nodded her head, "Yes dear, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I had a rough start to my morning that's all." The older woman attempted a smile as she tried to beat back her tears._

_What she had said hadn't been a lie. The past few weeks had been extremely rough on the former mayor and she had become very worn down, though she refused to show it. Between waking up in the middle of the night to race to the toilet and empty her stomach and repeating the same procedure in the morning, to worrying night and day about making sure that she was ready and doing everything in her power to protect her baby and be the best mother possible, Regina had grown very tired._

"_Well, do you want to talk about it?" Mary Margret offered as she sat down at her chair at the table and motioned for Regina to sit in the chair opposite her._

_Regina shook her head and sat down, "I don't see a need to, everything is perfectly handled." She said a bit too defensively and knew it was a slight lie. Everything wasn't perfectly handled, she was a single mother having to prepare herself for the months ahead and such a task was a lot for her to take on single handedly. _

"_What's perfectly handled?" A voice asked and Regina turned to see David descending the stairs from the loft._

"_Something that is none of your concern." Regina replied coolly._

_David looked at Mary Margret questioningly, a bit surprised at the defensiveness coming from the woman sitting at the table with his wife while at the same time not surprised at all. "Alright Regina, I was just wondering. You can put the flames away." David said with a teasing smirk as he walked over to counter of the kitchen._

"_David!" Mary Margret gasped and looked at her husband. _

_David looked over at his wife and Regina and raised his hands, "What? I was kidding!" He claimed with amusement in his bright blue eyes._

"_You were rude!" Mary Margret scolded._

"_It's fine Mary Margret, I've learned to tune out his specific brand of idiot." Regina interjected as she looked at the Mary Margret._

"_Ouch." David said from in the kitchen where he was pulling sandwich condiments out._

_Mary Margret looked at Regina, "I just want to make sure that you feel welcome in this house, I don't want you to think you will be verbally attacked while you're here." She sighed._

"_I… thank you Mary Margret." Regina stuttered as she heard the woman's words. _

_Over in the kitchen David opened up a pack of sliced ham and began taking pieces out for his sandwich. "Regina, I promise that I was just teasing you. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way." The prince announced as he looked over at the former mayor._

_Regina was going to accept David's apology but at that moment the scent of the ham hit her nose and instantly her stomach churned and her olive skin paled. Leaping to her feet Regina raced across the apartment to the bathroom and slammed to her knee's, hugging the toilet as she released what little she had eaten that day from her stomach. She retched and heaved, the vial toxins exiting her stomach until she was completely empty. As she crouched by the toilet, releasing her sickness into the bowl, she heard someone enter the washroom and walk over to her. Regina then felt Mary Margret's petit hands pull her hair back and hold it, one hand moving to her back and rubbing gentle circular motions between her shoulder blades ._

_It took several minutes but eventually Regina managed to stop gagging and flushed the toilet. She sat back and leaned against the wall of the bathroom, taking the small towel that Mary Margret offered her and wiping her mouth with it. Mary Margret crouched down next to Regina and looked at her very closely. "So how far along are you?" She asked calmly as if Regina had just told her everything in a well developed conversation._

_Regina looked at her knees and swallowed, trying to get the horrible taste out of her mouth. With a sigh she rasped, "A few weeks, 7 I believe." There was complete silence for several heartbeats and Regina worked up the effort to look at Mary Margret. It surprised her to find the younger woman looking at her with a wide smile and tears in her eyes. _

"_Regina! That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you!" Mary Margret gasped and suppressed the urge to hug her former stepmother._

"_You are?" Regina asked, she was honestly a bit shocked._

_Mary Margret nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course I am! You're going to have a baby Regina! How could I not be happy for you? You deserve this!" She insisted excitedly. "OH! Is this what you were planning on telling Henry?" _

_Regina paused for a moment then slowly nodded, "Yes, I was planning on him being the first to know I am pregnant." She admitted._

"_YOU'RE PREGNANT REGINA!" David suddenly blurted as he opened the door. "Bu…wha… how?" he stammered then realized how awkward he looked. "Hey, I was only coming to check on you two when I heard that." He defended himself. "Now seriously, how did this happen?" He asked._

_Regina looked at him and one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows rose questioningly. "I believe you might have some idea how this happened David. After all, you do have two children." She replied sassily. _

_David crossed his arms and shook his head, "No Regina." He said and knew he had set himself up for that snarky comeback. "I mean… how did this happen?" He put an emphasis on the 'how' as he looking Regina in the eyes. "Was it…" He trailed off, not daring to finish the question and risk upsetting the hormonal sorceress. _

"_Robin?" Regina finished for him, her voice surprisingly steady. She took a minute, her teeth pulling at her bottom lip as she sat against the wall in silence. "Yes." She uttered finally. "Yes, Robin is father to my child." _

_There was an awkward silence after that, no one moved and it seemed as if the entire world were holding its breath. Regina's gaze had shifted back to looking at her knees again, her arms wrapped around them as she waited for someone to say something. __**Figures that the two idiots would lose their voices at a time like this.**__ She huffed inwardly._

"_You're going to do wonderfully." Mary Margret uttered suddenly._

_Regina turned to look at the younger woman, "Excuse me?" She asked trying to make sure she had heard her right._

_Mary Margret straightened up a bit from where she had been leaning against the wall beside Regina and smiled. "You're going to do wonderfully Regina. You are going to be the best mother that child could ever hope for." She announced. "I know that with all my heart because I've seen you do it before. With Roland, with Henry… with me." The former princess practically whispered the last two words, a somewhat distant look in her eyes as she was taken back to the time long ago when Regina was her mother and she was just a little girl who was completely oblivious to the pain she had caused._

_Regina's lips parted slightly and tears formed in her eyes, a look of pure disbelief over took her features and she was left speechless for an instant. Part of her wanted to blame such a reaction on her hormones but she knew in truth that it was purely based on the fact that she was finally receiving some reassurance that beat back her doubts. _

"_And you won't have to do it alone this time." David asserted from where he stood in the doorway of the washroom. "If you don't want to of course." He added giving Regina a reassuring nod._

_Regina looked between the two people that used to be at the top of her kill list and felt her entire being overflow with gratitude at their support. "Th-thank you." She breathed. "But are you sure?" She questioned as she felt doubt still swirling within her._

_Mary Margret lifted her hand gently to Regina's shoulder and nodded her head happily. "Of course Regina, as I said, we're family and family helps each other." _

_Regina felt her former step daughters hand on her shoulder and hesitantly lifted her own hand, placing on top of Mary Margret's, a watery smile painted itself upon her beautiful face. "Thank you, both of you." She said and gently squeezed Mary Margret's hand in acceptance and gratitude._

_Just then David's phone began to go off and caused all three of them to jump and be ripped from the soft and sentimental family moment. "Sorry! I thought it was on vibrate!" David apologized as he shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve the continuously beeping cell phone. _

"_It's fine David, just answer it." Mary Margret chuckled as her husband scampered out of the room almost dropping the phone as he pulled it from his pocket, his shoulder hitting the doorframe causing him to groan in pain. She then turned her mint green gaze to Regina and laughed as she watched the former queen roll her eyes at David's antics. _

"_You sure did catch yourself an odd one dear." Regina said and shook her head as she began to stand up and straighten out her now wrinkled dress. _

_Mary Margret laughed and stood up as well, "He won't be winning a Nobel Prize any time soon, but he does have some bright moments. I swear." She giggled and put her hand over her heart._

_Regina's eyebrows rose and she looked at the woman laughing beside her. "No, certainly no Nobel Prizes, but maybe a Darwin Award if you don't look out for him dear." She teased and began laughing as well._

_The continued chuckling as they exited the bathroom, Mary Margret with a hand over her mouth to try and muffle the sounds of laughter while Regina simply shook her head enjoying the feeling of the genuine laugh. They both froze however when they saw David, the laughter died immediately, confusion and concern replacing the smiles on their faces as they saw the prince pacing across the room barking orders into his phone. David's blue eyes no longer were bright or soft with laughter but instead were darkened with worry, anger, and alarm as he listened to whatever was happening on the other end of the line. Regina and Mary Margret exchanged glances, both women clearly stunned by the change that had happened while they had been laughing in the bathroom. _

"_EMMA! NO! DON'T YOU DARE GO AFTER THEM ALONE!" David yelled into the phone. "I DON'T CARE THAT THEY ARE GETTING AWAY! THEY WILL KILL YOU!" There was a pause that must have been Emma responding. Suddenly David stopped and stood absolutely still, "EMMA! THERE ARE FOUR OF THEM AND ONE OF YOU! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO RISK HENRY RUNNING OFF AFTER YOU?" There was another pause and David's tense shoulders suddenly loosened. "Get back home now, we will solve everything once you are here." He assured before hanging up._

_When Henry's name had been mentioned during the yelling Regina had felt her heart stop. "What happened?" She demanded as soon as David hung up. "David! Is Henry alright? What happened? Is my son safe?" The former queen barked her voice full of distress._

_David turned to look at her and replied, "Henry's safe, Emma is bringing him back here right now." He then looked at Mary Margret and Regina together as he said the next part, "But someone just set fire to that empty mansion in the woods along the beach. Emma called it the Authors Mansion."_

_Regina felt her blood freeze as she listened to David. "What?" She breathed and felt her heart break. That mansion had been her only way of finding the author and now it was gone, __**Operation Mongoose failed.**__ She thought and a tear ran down her cheek. _

"_Emma saw who did it." David paused and swallowed, clearly still processing the thoughts as he spoke. "She said it was Gold and three women who called themselves the Queen's of Darkness." He paused and took a seat, looking down at the wooden floor between his feet._

_Mary Margret looked at her husband and the uneasiness inside her increase as she saw him slouch into the chair with a tired look of defeat. "David, what else did Emma say?" She asked hesitantly._

_David was silent for a moment before he looked up at the two women in front of him. "She said that they told her they were here to finally prove the 'Author' wrong and take their own happy endings… by destroying all of ours." _

.

.

.

Robin sat silently in a wooden chair at Mary Margret and David's kitchen table. In his arms he cradled his baby girl, his eyes still looking at her as if she were the most precious and beautiful baby that could ever exist. It was a look that would not fade or falter for as long as he lived because in his arms he held his beautiful Danielle, his baby girl, the wondrous last gift given to him by the woman he loved most, his and Regina's child. "She has her eyes." The archer said as he looked into the golden brown orbs that peered up at him from the bundle of purple blankets.

"She does." David replied with a smile as he sat with Robin. "I have a feeling that is something she will be hearing her whole life." He added and leaned back in his chair.

Mary Margret nodded in agreement as she sat with Neal in her arms. "It's amazing how much she looks like her. Give her a few years and she will probably act like Regina too, smart and sassy but also kind." The princess mused as she looked over at Danielle.

"One can only hope that she will not be a fool like her father." Robin said with a bitterness directed at himself in his words.

David looked at Robin and frowned, "Robin, you can't go through life hating yourself. It isn't healthy and it isn't right." He insisted.

Robin kept his gaze on Danielle but shook his head, "Perhaps if I had been here, if I had never left…" He paused and took a breath, determined not to cry in front of his little girl. "Perhaps then Regina would still be alive…" He finished and blinked away his tears.

David closed his eyes and couldn't stop himself from thinking about if he were in Robin's position. The thought terrified him and he understood how Robin could believe that it was his fault that Regina had died. _It's because he doesn't know._ David thought sadly. _He doesn't know that he would have been unable to stop it even if he were here._

David opened his mouth to say something to Robin, but Mary Margret spoke up before he could. "Robin, you cannot blame yourself for Regina. What happened… it was a tragedy… there was nothing you could have done to prevent it." She said and David could see the hurt in her eyes.

"None of us could have." David said and took Mary Margret's hand in his; giving it a gentle squeeze to remind her that there was nothing she could have done either.

Robin broke his gaze away from Danielle for a moment to look up at the couple sitting with him. He licked his lips and inhaled deeply. "What happened to her?" He asked a look of desperation deep within his ocean blue gaze. "I need to know what happened… I need to know how Regina died… How she was taken from me." He half demanded, half pleaded.

Mary Margret and David exchanged glances and both felt uneasy about addressing the fact that Robin had a right to know how Regina died. They had both been there, they had both watched and had both been helpless to prevent it from happening. For them it was a memory that would haunt them for the rest of their days because they had lost someone they had both grown so close to and because Regina's sacrifice had been for Danielle and for them and for all of Storybrooke. A month had passed since Regina passed and neither of them had slept through a night without seeing the queen's face, their friends' face, with tears and a smile and a look of longing to live and acceptance that such a thing wouldn't be. A month had passed and they still grieved every day for the member of their family that was no longer with them, not a day passed that they didn't shed a tear for Regina Mills. Mary Margret and David had been ready to raise Danielle, to be the little girl's parents and to one day teach the girl of her real mother the beautiful and powerful magical Queen Regina. And now they had to be ready to tell Robin what had happened to his soul mate. The wound was still so fresh, their hearts still ached painfully at the thought, but Robin deserved to know.

David looked back at Robin and sighed, "Alright Robin, but before I tell you Mary Margret will need to put Neal and Danielle down for their naps."

The prince looked at his wife and saw a look of gratitude in her eyes. She understood that this was him giving her a reason to not be in the room when he told Robin of Regina's death. "Yes, I'll go do that now." She said and got to her feet balancing Neal in one arm. She walked over to Robin in order to pick up Danielle and was surprised to see him shift protectively as if to keep her from taking Danielle from him. "Robin, please she needs to rest." Mary Margret insisted.

Robin hadn't meant to be so protective, but he couldn't help it, he couldn't stand the idea of being parted from Danielle. "Yes, of course. I apologize." He murmured and placed Danielle in Mary Margret's arm. He felt his heart race a bit as the woman walked out of the room with his little girl and every part of him wanted to get up and follow her, he shifted to stand but suddenly felt a hand on his upper arm.

"Robin, it's alright. Danielle is fine; she is just in the other room, you can see her when we are done." David assured the archer and looked into his eyes to make sure that Robin knew he was sincere.

Robin took a breath and commanded his body to remain seated. "Alright." He uttered and looked at David. "Now please… tell me what happened."

David nodded and let go of Robin's arm, he then sat back in his chair and looked sadly at the table in front of him. "It all started only a few weeks after you left, the day Mary Margret and I found out that Regina was pregnant actually." David began. "Rumpelstiltskin returned to Storybrooke and he didn't come back alone. He had brought the Queen's of Darkness, Maleficent, Cruella De Vil and Ursula with him and they went to work right away. When Regina heard about what was happening she was determined to help us stop them even though we told her that this wasn't her fight and that she needed to think about her baby. Regina was stubborn, but she was also smart and had so much love for Danielle already, so she agreed to be benched. We however could not have been more wrong." David said and rubbed his temples, a look of shame on his face. "The Queen's of Darkness believed that they could get Regina to betray us and side with them, Rumpelstiltskin told her that that was how villains got their happy endings, by taking it. He knew that Maleficent, Cruella and Ursula were strong, but still Regina was stronger and if they wanted to guarantee their victory they needed her on their side. But Regina… she told them no, time and time again she refused them, she told them that she had changed, that that wasn't who she was anymore." David took a breath, his eyes watering and a small proud smile forming on his lips. "For months they tried tempting her, but Regina was determined to be a hero, to show she had changed, and be a good mother for Danielle and she knew that returning to her old ways wouldn't let her have any of those things. So she told them no, she told them that she wasn't like them anymore and that she would have her happy ending because she would choose to be happy. Rumpelstiltskin even tried to use promises of bringing you back, but Regina told him that a happy ending couldn't be taken, that it had to be made and she was making hers because she had us, she had Henry, and she had Danielle." A dark look then fell over David's features and his hand tightened into a fist.

Robin felt a horribly bitter cross between happiness, pride, anger, and sorrow surging through him as he listened. Regina had been so strong, she had stood up against temptation and she had turned away from her former self completely because she wanted to change for their child. His veins filled with boiling hot rage as he heard David talk about Rumpelstiltskin trying to use him against Regina, trying to trick her with promises of bringing them back together. "What happened next?" Robin asked as he stared at a crack in the wall, trying hard to prepare himself for the worst.

David swallowed and clenched his jaw. "Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen's of Darkness decided that if Regina was not going to stand with them that she would fall with the rest of us, and much, much further. They disappeared for a while and Mary Margret, Emma, Henry, myself, and practically the whole town tried to help Regina in whatever way we could through the pregnancy. Everyone had seen by then how much she had changed, every night your Merry Men and several other citizens would guard her house because we all knew how much danger she was in." David paused for a moment and a sad chuckle escaped him. "She hated it so much." He said softly as he remembered Regina emerging from her mansion with a round belly and annoyance clear on her face, her usual regal strut still somehow managed as she crossed the yard to tell people to leave. David's smile then faded again as he remembered what happened next. "After a few months Rumpelstiltskin and the Queens of Darkness began appearing again, they were making threats, some directed at the whole town, and some specifically at Regina. We tried to hunt them down, but we could never find them. Regina was the one who figured out that they intended to enact another dark curse that would cause all of us to forget ourselves again and only they would remember. The curse was different though, it would have allowed them to keep their magic, let the four of them remember, and as we found out from Maleficent it would trap Regina. Apparently they decided that the best punishment for her betrayal was to lock her up under the town for all eternity… and take her child from her. Rumpelstiltskin told Regina that he would take her child and teach it, that he would make sure her child would grow up to be a proper Evil Queen and that one day she would be allowed to see her baby again, the day that her child would rip her heart out and crush it." David looked both irate and miserable as he spoke. "Regina feared more than anything that her child would end up the way she had, she feared for everyone in the town and she wanted to keep us from having to suffer such a fate. She cared for us and wanted to protect everyone… Snow said that that was an attribute Regina had always had, it was her greatest weakness and also her most undeniable strength."

Robin listened and a tear ran down his cheek. _If only I had been there, I could have protected her. I could have reassured her and stood by her side. She was being threatened and I wasn't there to let her know she was safe._ Robin thought as he tried to hold back his tears.

David bowed his head as he continued solemnly. "Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen's of Darkness cast the curse on the day Regina was giving birth to Danielle. They had planned it that way; Rumpelstiltskin said it would be for a good bit of _dramatic irony_." The prince practically spat out the last few words. He knew what Rumpelstiltskin had meant by that, he was going to make Regina lose her baby the moment she had it just like Snow had lost Emma. "While Regina was in labor she told Mary Margret and I that she could beat back the curse long enough for us to get everyone through the portal to Arendelle that stood in the ruins of the Authors Mansion. We tried… we tried to stop her, but she was so scared for us and for her child… she didn't want Danielle to have the life she had…" David took a breath as tears fell from his eyes. "She put every ounce of her strength that wasn't directed into the birth towards beating back the curse with her magic. The exhaust of it… it drained her… and it wasn't enough. Danielle was born and the curse was still coming, Regina wanted her child… your child… to know a life of happiness, a life that was filled with love and laughter, not pain and hatred. She held Danielle in her arms as she… as she… died… and named Danielle and told her how much she loved her and how much you loved her. She wanted Danielle to know how much she was loved." David leaned against the table as images of Regina crying and dying and trying to be brave and holding onto her baby whispering words of love flashed through his mind. In the other room David could hear Mary Margret crying, knowing that she had been listening through the wall the whole time. "Regina's last act is the one that saved us all. She kissed Danielle's forehead right as the curse was about to consume us… and that kiss was one of true love. Regina's kiss saved us all from a fate worse than death because she loved the child you gave her."

Robin closed his eyes and let his tears fall freely. "She died? A-after all o-of that s-sh-she died?" He asked, trying to come to terms with everything he had heard. It all seemed so much more final now that he had heard the story of his soul mates death. It felt more permanent; it felt so much more real, that she was really truly gone.

David looked at Robin with red tear filled eyes, "Yes, after that she died. We tried to save her… but we couldn't. She gave everything she had for this town and for Danielle because despite how much the past hurt… she loved us…"

"And when she loved…" Mary Margret's tear filled voice came from the doorway of the bedroom. "It was unconditional." The princess finished and stood with tears running down her cheeks, her jaw quivering.

Robin looked up at Mary Margret and David; he felt broken and tired and lost. He had no idea how he was supposed to function with Regina truly gone; he had no idea how he was supposed to go forward into the days ahead without her. _**Danielle**_. A sweet hushed voice seemed to whisper in his ear. _Yes, Danielle. I move forward for her, together we will make it. _He determined, though his entire heart and soul could not let go of Regina and probably never would, he would go on through the days for Danielle. Robin knew he would need help, he knew he would most likely stumble, he knew he might fall, he knew he would most likely need help getting back up, but he would push forward for Danielle. He would push forward for her just as he had done for Roland after Marian had passed, he would be the strong and loving father that his children needed. Looking between Mary Margret and David again Robin croaked, "Thank you for telling me, and thank you for being by her side when I wasn't." He paused and cleared his throat. "Regina was truly fortunate to have a family that cared to greatly for her."

Mary Margret stepped forward, crossing the room until she stood beside David and in front of Robin. "That's what family does." She sniffed as she tried to stop her tears and give Robin a watery smile. "They care for each other and love each other no matter what."

"And they always stand by each other, especially during the hardest times." David added and held onto Mary Margret's hand. He looked at Robin and gave the archer a reassuring smile, though his eyes were still red from crying. "You don't have to do this alone Robin, we are here for you, Danielle, and Roland. You were Regina's loved ones, you were her family which makes you our family and no one is alone in our family." David assured.

Robin felt flooded with gratitude towards the couple in front of him as he listened to their words. He knew that Mary Margret and David weren't lying to him; they would be there for him and his children no matter what because to them they were family. With his heart still throbbing with pain and grief and his soul still crying out for its lost mate Robin managed a nod and attempted a smile. His eyes drifted towards the doorway of the room where his little Danielle was napping. _We'll be okay, we'll push forward together. _He thought to himself. _I will make sure her life is full of love and laughter Regina, and I promise she will know you. She will have the happy ending that you made for her. Danielle shall know how very much you loved her Regina, I swear._

**Soooo…. This chapter ended up being much longer than I expected. Most chapters I don't think will be this long but I just got so into it. ALSO! Next chapter we will see Marian and Roland. AND COMING UP: we will be seeing Henry and Emma joining in along with Jefferson who will be a regular. Just expect a lot of David and once Jefferson arrives, he is here to stay. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I promise, most other chapters will be light hearted and funny, I just have to get the ground work done. Next chapter will have some drama to it, but after that the many stories of Robin raising Danielle shall begin!**

**PS. You will still be getting stories from Regina's pregnancy and some of them will be light and fluffy, but others will be a bit more angsty. Everything you read in this chapter that David told Robin about is going to happen during a flashback. BUT I PROMISE TO THROW IN A LOT OF CUTE REGINA PREGNANT FLUFF (I'm really feeling like one is going to involve someone *cough*David*cough* teasing her when she drops her cell phone and can't reach it.) SO DON'T HATE ME AND DON'T WORRY! I PROMISE I'M NOT AS CRUEL AS I MIGHT SEEM!**

**Please comment and review! I love you all! 3 3 3**


	4. Understanding

**Understanding**

"_Mom!" Henry gasped as he rushed into the Charming's apartment with Emma hot on his heels. "Mom! I'm so sorry! We tried to save it! We tried to save the Authors mansion! But it's gone! I'm so sorry mom!" The boy breathed as he slammed into Regina and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "Operation Mongoose failed." He whispered into her shoulder as a tear traveled down his cheek._

_Regina held her son in her arms and hugged him tight, "Shhh, I know Henry, I know." She soothed and rubbed his back. "David told me what happened." She added and held him for several long heartbeats. Her eyes looked up and met Emma's and the blonde tilted her head to the side, her emerald orbs sending a silent apology. Regina blinked and gave the savior a simple nod knowing that Emma would have done whatever it took to try and save the mansion. _

"_I'm sorry mom, we were supposed to find your happy ending and now we can't." Henry sniffled and buried his face in Regina's shoulder. "The mansion is gone and so is the authors library, it's all gone." He cried softly, a heavy guilt weighing down on him. He knew how much finding the author had meant to his mother, he knew how badly she wanted and deserved her happy ending, but now their only lead was a pile of ashes. "I'm sorry."_

_Regina hugged Henry tighter for a moment letting her head lean against his wild brown hair as the boy cried into her shoulder. She couldn't help but thank whatever higher being might exist that Henry hadn't been hurt in the fire because she had no idea what she would have done if her Little Prince had so much as a singed hair on his head. "Henry, you being safe is all I need." She told him as she rubbed circles across his back. "The library wasn't worth you risking your life. I would never be able to have a happy ending if you weren't there to enjoy it with me." Regina whispered to the sniffling boy in her arms._

_Henry held onto his mother tighter for a moment before taking a breath and pulling away to look her in the eyes. "But what are we going to do now mom?" He asked and his voice cracked as he spoke. "How are we going to find the Author if the library is gone?" Henry added in a soft and slightly defeated voice._

_Raising a gentle hand to Henry's cheek Regina wiped away his tears, "I don't know Henry." She said carefully. "But," She added when she saw the anguished look in his eye grow. "we… we might not need to." She said with slight hesitation._

_A look of confusion placed itself upon Henry's face as he listened to his mother. Regina looked up and saw the exact same look mirrored on Emma's features and saw the blonde turn and give her parents a questioning glance. Clearly getting nothing from Mary Margret and David, Emma turned back to look at Regina. "Mom what do you mean?" Henry gasped. "Are you giving up?" He demanded. "Because you can't give up!" He instructed firmly. _

"_The kid's right Regina." Emma blurted and looking into Regina's whiskey brown eyes. "Just because Gold and these 'Queen's of Darkness' threw one curve ball doesn't mean you should throw in the towel." _

_Regina shook her head and sighed, "I'm not 'throwing in the towel' Emma." She said and looked between her son and the sheriff who were looking at her skeptically. "I'm not!" The former mayor defended._

"_Then why would you want to stop looking?" Henry asked with a frown. "I thought you wanted the author to write you a happy ending?" The teen pointed out, his hazel eyes staring into his mothers brown ones._

"_Well…" Regina began and put her hands together in front of her as she took a few steps over to a chair and sat down, wondering if this was the right time to tell them the big news. __**Might as well do it now.**__ She told herself and looked over at the blonde sheriff and her son. "Because I think he already might have written me one." She said and subtly placed a hand on her stomach as she sat down. _

_Henry just looked completely confused by her words in that moment and looked at his mom before turning towards Emma, expecting to see the same confusion on her face. What he saw instead though was that the blondes emerald eyes were wide and her mouth had dropped open. "What Emma? What is it?" He asked and then followed his birth mothers gaze to the hand on Regina's stomach. It took several heartbeats, but suddenly it all clicked into place and Henry's eyes widened. "Wait! Mom! Are you PREGNANT?!" He practically yelled._

_Over in the corner of the room the loud sound of laughing rang out and Regina glanced over to see David and Mary Margret standing there, Mary Margret with a camera in hand and David cracking up. The prince had to physically hold himself up by leaning on a chair as he laughed while Mary Margret chuckled as she caught the moment with her camera. "You two look priceless!" The princess laughed as she looked at her daughter and grandson._

"_MOM!" Emma yelled and raced over towards her parents, trying to get rid of the pictures._

_Regina watched the Charmings and rolled her eyes, though an amused smile painted itself on her face. She then turned back to Henry who was still staring at her, waiting for a verbal answer to what had just been confirmed by David and Mary Margret's behavior. "Yes Henry, I am." She said and hoped that he wouldn't think that she was trying to replace him or would love him less._

_There was a moment that Regina was truly frightened he would be upset, but the instant his mother words truly registered Henry smiled the widest smile Regina had ever seen. "Mom! That's great news! I'm going to be a big brother! Emma did you hear that?" He called and his question was met by a crashing sound._

_Both Regina and Henry looked over at the three adults with wide eyes that only grew wider when they saw the scene before them. David had Emma in a partial hold, both of them on the ground with a small table knocked over beside them. Above the two blondes Mary Margret sat on the like an owl on one of the beams that traveled between the stairs and one of the wooden stilts that stood under the loft. _

"_It's a good thing Neal is with Ashley today." Regina said, her expression still one of shock as she stared at the Charmings. She then smiled when she heard Henry snicker from where he stood beside her and looked over at him, the boy glance up at her and nodded. For some reason Regina knew that there was more behind that nod than him simply agreeing with her on baby Neal, it seemed like he was telling her that everything she had worried about was going to be okay and she didn't need to ever have any doubt because no matter what, she wouldn't be alone._

_._

_._

_._

_Almost an hour later everything had calmed down enough so that Emma, Henry, David, Mary Margret and Regina could all sit down at the table and discuss more serious matters. Mary Margret had safely hidden her camera and David and Emma both had ice on their heads, Henry and Regina sat side by side with Henry leaning against his adoptive mother; now they were ready to discuss the new threat to the town._

"_So you said Gold wasn't alone?" David asked and looked at Emma. "You said something about the 'Queen's of Shadows'?" He said and tried to remember the name._

"_Darkness." Regina corrected and everyone looked over at her. "They call themselves the Queen's of Darkness." She said calmly._

"_Do you know them?" Mary Margret asked as she held onto her mug of tea._

_Regina sighed and sat up a bit straighter, if it was even possible, her hand running through her hair as she spoke. "Yes." She stated simply._

_There was a silent pause and everyone looked expectantly at Regina. _

"_Well?" Emma spoke up after a moment. "What do you know?"_

_Regina let out a huff and gave the blonde a look of annoyance, "Their real names are Ursula, Cruella De Vil and Maleficent." She began and her eyebrows rose the way they always did when she began explaining something painfully obvious to herself but not to others. "They were all student's of Rumpelstiltskin like I was and they all were villains in their own right, all three of them have hearts that are as dark as they come and powerful magic to match it." She explained._

"_Well why were they after that mansion?" David asked and looked at Emma again._

_Emma shrugged, "I don't know, they said something about wanting to get their own happy endings… by taking all of ours." At the blondes' words there was an extended silence within the apartment, the five people sitting at the table exchanged glances or stared off into the distance trying to think of a plan to stop such a catastrophe from happening._

_The silence was broken by Mary Margret who looked confused as she asked, "But why burn down that mansion?"_

_Emma shrugged again and pushed her hair back "Beats me, maybe they were trying to send a message." She suggested._

"_To who?" David wondered loudly._

"_To the Author." Henry suddenly chipped in after sitting in silence for the past several minutes._

"_But what does this 'Author' have to do with anything?" Mary Margret asked, her brows furrowed as she pondered the thought._

"_He has everything to do with everything." Regina answered with a slight dryness in her tone. "He is the one who writes the books, he controls the happy endings and who gets them. That's why-" She paused suddenly wondering if she should continue. Luckily for her Henry was there and he gave her a much needed nod of encouragement, his hand shifting to hold onto hers. "That's why I was trying to find this 'Author', so that I could ask him to write me a happy ending."_

"_Well it doesn't seem like Gold and the Queen's feel much like asking the 'Author' for a happy ending." David said and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair._

"_No." Regina shook her head. "They are trying to scare him off." She said and knew that is exactly what her former self would have done. "They are trying to make him run so that they can control the happy endings, my guess is that they want the major players either gone or on their side in order to succeed at whatever they're planning." She informed with a slight distant look in her eye as she tried to think like the enemy she once knew so well._

"_How do you know that?" Mary Margret asked and looked at Regina with questioning mint green eyes._

_Regina smirked slightly and said, "Because it's what I would have done."_

_There was another uneasy silence and Regina couldn't help but chuckle internally by the affect she still had on these people. They all knew she had changed, she knew that they did, but it was still fun to mess with them from time to time. _

"_If they think they've scared off the 'Author' than what will they do?" David asked after a moment._

"_My guess is they'll do what they came here to do, they'll try to take their happy endings by force." Regina answered and it was clear that she was not the only one who felt a chill go down her spine at the thought of Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen's of Darkness somehow controlling the happy endings._

"_Well then, I guess we need to stop them." Emma declared and put her hands on the table in front of her. _

"_Of course we need to stop them, that's what hero's do." Henry said with a smile and he looked a little bit too excited for Regina's comfort._

"_Yes, and Little Prince's stay safe and sound at home." The former Queen said and gave her son a look that showed she was not letting him suit up in hero gear yet._

"_But mom!" Henry complained and looked over at Emma. "Ma! Tell her to let me help!" _

_Regina looked at Emma and her gaze was stern and practically daring Emma to go against what she said. Emma met Regina's gaze and then looked over at Henry, "Your mom's right kid. No saving the world for you until you're older." The blonde announced._

"_Ma!" Henry gasped and looked upset but didn't say anything else on the matter knowing that their decision wouldn't change if he acted like a three year old._

"_Alight, now that that's handled I suggest that Emma and I go examined the remains of the mansion and see if my magic can pick up a trail." Regina advised and began to stand up to get her coat._

_David, Emma and Mary Margret all exchanged looks and suddenly David spoke up. "Uh… Regina, I don't think that's best." He said and watched Regina stop and turn to look at him._

"_Why? Do you have a better way of finding them?" Regina challenged as she sat back down._

"_No, I do think Emma should go and check out the mansion. She can try to use her magic to pick up a trail and I'll go with her." David suggested and Regina's perfectly plucked brows rose. _

"_It would be faster if I went, Emma is still new with magic." Regina pointed out._

"_Yes." Mary Margret agreed. "But you're pregnant." She added a little hesitantly, she knew that her former step-mother was not one to be held back._

_Regina looked at them and her expression morphed to one of disbelief. "You can't be serious." She stated even though she could tell that they were. _

"_Regina we just-" David began but was cut off._

"_Oh no! You have got to be kidding me!" Regina exclaimed. "Are you three idiots trying to side line me? Right now! When all of Storybrooke is at risk!" Her voice was growing louder as her temper flared._

"_Regina, we aren't side lining you." Emma said and looked the woman in the eyes. "We are just trying to make sure that you aren't needlessly throwing yourself into danger."_

"_WHAT!?" Regina snapped and stood up looking at them. "THIS WHOLE TOWN IS IN DANGER AND YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT ME!?" She yelled_

"_Yes!" David answered. "Regina! You are pregnant! There is a life that is solely dependent on you staying safe and caring for it! Your baby doesn't need you going up against magical enemies and possibly getting hurt or killed! You can be reckless and emotional at times Regina!"_

"_No I'm not!" The former queen interjected and crossed her arms in exasperation._

"_Yes you are! You have risked yourself so many times for this town! You are constantly taking more fire than the rest of us and you act like your life is a worthy price to pay it if it means stopping the other guy! But it isn't! And it's not just your life anymore Regina! You are pregnant and that baby needs you!" Emma shot up from her seat as she spoke. "Are you really willing to risk your baby's life?" She asked the dark haired woman in front of her with complete and utter seriousness._

_Regina held Emma's gaze and let a loud sigh escape her. "No, I'm not." She admitted and uncrossed her arms, one of her hands moving down to her stomach._

"_Good, because neither are we." David said and Mary Margret, Emma, and Henry all nodded in agreement._

_._

_._

_._

Two days had passed since Robin had returned to Storybrooke with the intent of finding his soul mate and finally giving her their happy ending. The archer was still grieving, his soul aching to be reunited with its only true match; his eyes were red from sleepless nights and hours of crying. But still as he sat in the bright red booth inside Granny's Diner, his calloused fingers wrapped around the light blue baby carrier seat, the archer managed to smile as he looked down at the sleeping form of his little girl. She had drifted off to sleep soon after they had sat down in the diner and sat down so that Robin could eat. The archer had spent every moment since rocking her carrier gently as he sipped on his coffee and thought about the road ahead for both Danielle and himself.

"She seems like an easy one to handle." Granny's voice came from beside Robin and snapped him out of his thoughts, his gaze moving up from his daughter to the elderly woman. "Red was a constant crier, it took every trick ever developed to make her stop." The silver haired woman continued and lifted up the fresh pot of coffee in a silent offer.

Robin nodded and held up his mug, he watched her pour the steaming hot liquid into the white cup. "Yes, well Mary Margret told me that she loves to be rocked. It seems to have a calming effect on her that never worked on Roland." He replied in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

"Well at least that means you get more sleep at night, some new parents would do anything for a deal like that." Granny replied and her gaze shifted from Robin to Danielle.

Robin let out a light, halfhearted chuckle at that and looked at Danielle as well. "Yes, she does seem to be trying to make it easy on me. She must be able to tell that it's my first time raising a girl." He said with a small smile which grew slightly when Danielle's little fists moved over her belly in her sleep.

"I think she can tell more than that." Granny commented and sat down in the booth across from Robin. "Young ones are smarter than we give them credit for. They can see the world in a much simpler way, they can tell friend from foe better than some adults." The old woman waved over one of the waitresses who took the pot of hot coffee from her as she continued to speak. "I wouldn't put it past her to know something's missing and that you are doing the best you can to fill that hole."

Robin looked at the woman with confusion evident in his sky blue eyes, he had had many conversations with the old wolf between the year in the enchanted forest and his time here in Storybrooke and never before had he ever had such difficulties trying to understand her words. It didn't take him long however to piece together what was missing from Danielle's life that he was trying to make up for though. "You think she knows that Regina is gone?" He inquired with sorrow gripping his voice.

Granny gave the archer a solemn nod and leaned forward on the table a bit, her green eyes unusually soft and sympathetic. "The one thing a child knows from the moment it is conceived is its mother. That bond shared between mother and child is one that is perhaps the strongest and most naturally beautiful and feral bonds to ever exist between any and every species. A mother will do anything to protect her young and a child will always know when something has happened to its mother. So in answer to your question Robin, while Danielle might not know Regina is gone, she can sense it. It is natural instinct for a pup to know its mother and to have a link with her; I think Danielle can tell that that link is severed and that you are trying to mend it in the best way you know how." Granny admitted and looked Robin in the eye.

Robin listened to the old wolf and though her words made his heart ache, it also lit a hopeful flame within him. The flame burned with the trust that what Granny said was true, that Danielle's bond with Regina had been strong and somehow she still knew her mother even though fate had pulled them apart too soon. "Do you think I can keep the link between them alive?" He asked softly.

Granny shrugged and stood up. "You can try." She said before giving him an awkwardly comforting pat on the shoulder and returning to her work.

Robin was grateful for the conversation and turned to look at Danielle. "I will." He said to himself as he looked down at his sleeping little girl. He knew that he would do anything to keep the link between Regina and Danielle alive, their child deserved to know her mother; she deserved to have a connection with Regina and to never feel like Regina had left her behind. Robin smiled and continued to rock the carrier seat and plan out how he would fix what fate had broken to the best of his ability.

After several moments passed Robin looked up at the clock in the diner and shifted nervously. It was almost 8:30 which meant any minute now the diner doors would open and Marian and Roland would enter as they had agreed the previous night over the phone.

As if on cue the bell to the front door of the diner rang as the door opened. In dashed a small bundle of jackets scarves and curly brown hair that excitedly yelled, "Papa!"

Robin smiled as Roland raced over to him and jumped into his arms. "Roland my boy!" He said and held his son up in the air as he stood. "What happened to your tooth?" The archer asked when he saw a gap in the bottom row of Roland's front teeth.

"It came out Papa!" Roland blurted with a look of pride. "I spat it out right into Uncle John's hand!"

Robin laughed at the last part to the point that his eyes watered, he could perfectly picture Little John's face when Roland's bloody tooth was spat into the palm of his hand. "I'm sure he loved that." Robin chuckled.

"He screamed like a… like a…" Roland paused trying to remember the word when suddenly he saw the carrier in his father's booth. "BABY!" The little boy gasped loudly and scrambled out of his father's arms and into the booth to look into the carrier. "Papa! Who's baby is this?" Roland asked with wide eyes.

Robin cleared his throat and opened his mouth to answer when suddenly another voice interjected. "She is your Papa's." Marian said as she walked over to the booth from where she had been standing and watching her son and former husband. "This is your little sister Roland." She said and gave the boy a smile, her head nodding to the carrier.

"My sister?" Roland asked.

"Yes my boy." Robin answered. "Her name is Danielle."

Roland's lips parted into the widest grin Robin had ever seen on the little boys face. "Hi Danielle." He said in a loud whisper to the now waking baby. "I'm Roland and I'm your big brother and you are really cute." The little boy said and the baby smiled up at him.

Robin watched his two children with a smile and felt his heart warm at the sight of Roland talking to Danielle. He felt a gentle hand rest itself on his arm and looked over to see Marian looking at him. "Robin, can we sit. I want to talk to you." She said and nodded to the table just beside the booth.

Robin nodded and sat down with Marian at the table, his blue eyes looking up and meeting her dark brown ones. "He seems to really like her." He said and nodded towards Roland who was babbling on and on to Danielle about how they were going to be best friends and how they would play together and he would let her have his stuffed dragon if she wanted it.

Marian smiled and nodded, but then her face took on a much more serious and sad look. "Robin, I want you to know that I heard about what happened to Regina." She said in a soft tone, her heart ached when she saw the expression on Robins face turn to one of pain.

"I assumed that you had." Robin said and looked at his hands on the table. "How else would you have known about Danielle?" He added.

"Little John told me everything Robin." Marian said and closed her eyes taking a shaky breath. "I'm sorry that we came too late, I know how much you loved her." There was a hint of pain in her voice, but the truth was Marian had accepted Robin's feelings for Regina months ago. That's why when they found their way back into town she had let him go off to find the Queen without a complaint and had even wished him good luck.

"Thank you." Robin uttered and there was a pause between them for several long heartbeats. Robin then looked up at Marian and asked, "So Danielle… she doesn't…" He paused not knowing how to truly ask his question.

Marian looked at Robin and a look of shame and sadness suddenly filled her eyes causing her to look away. "When I…" She began but stopped knowing that what she was about to say sounded horrible and cruel. "Robin, when I first heard about what happened to Regina… I… I was glad… I felt like justice had been served. Some dark part of me thought that since she had taken me away from Roland… it was only fitting that she be taken from her baby as well."

Robin looked at Marian with wide eyes, his ears hardly believing what he had just heard. "Marian-" He began but was cut off.

"Robin, let me finish." Marian interjected quickly before looking at the salt shaker as she continued. "As soon as I realized what I had thought I was horrified with myself for ever even thinking something so tragic could be deserved by anyone. I hate myself for thinking that Regina deserved what happened to her. I know with all my heart that that was not justice, it was cruel and twisted fate, it was something that Regina did not deserve and never would have. I know she changed Robin." The brunette said and looked up into Robin's eyes. "I know that she wasn't a monster, she saved this entire town, and during the year you two met in the enchanted forest I know that she saved Roland. I need you to understand Robin that I hold no ill will towards yours and Regina's daughter, Danielle is as much a part of Roland's family as she is yours, and if she is a part of Roland's family then she is my family as well. I above all others know that a child should never lose its mother and that a mother should never have to leave her child behind. I know that we are no longer married, but you are still one of my best friends and I hope that I am one of yours. My arms and heart are open to Danielle and I want to be there for the both of you." Marian said and placed her hand on Robin's to show that she was there for him; not as a lover, but as a friend.

Robin looked at his former wife with tears in his eyes. Though he no longer loved her romantically like he once had, he still loved how kind and gentle she was and how forgiving and open she could be. She was still one of his best friends and he knew that if he was going to raise Danielle that he would want her there to help him. "Would you like to meet her?" He asked suddenly and smiled when he saw Marian laugh lightly and nod, knowing that he had accepted her help and her friendship.

**OKAY! NEW CHAPTER! So I hope you enjoyed it and I know that this wasn't too funny, but I promise next chapter will be. Chapters after this one are going to continue to follow Regina's story during her pregnant months and shall include a lot of ReginaxBaby fluff. They will also have funny and sweet stories of Robin and his adventures in raising Danielle with the help of David, Jefferson, and Marian. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and thank you all so much for the comments and reviews. KEEP THEM COMING! I love hearing your thoughts and ideas! Also, don't worry you will be seeing Emma and Henry interacting with Robin and Danielle. Please comment and review! Thank you all! I LOVE YOU! 3**

**PS: If any of you are interested in following me on Tumblr my name is sanctuaryforall1**


	5. How Do I Do This?

**How Do I Do This!?**

_It was bright and early on a Tuesday morning as Mary Margret strolled cheerfully down the side walk towards the large white mansion on 108 Mifflin Street. The sun was still making its rise into the sky to show off a new day to the whole world and the short haired brunette smiled as she passed citizens who were out traveling to work or school. "Good morning Doc." She chirped as she passed the white haired dwarf._

"_Morning Snow, how's baby Neal?" Doc replied with a smile as he took out his keys to his Miata._

"_He's doing very well; David wanted to spend some time with him today. Something about male bonding." Mary Margret replied with a playful roll of her eyes at David's antics. "So I figured I'd visit Regina." The former princess smiled._

_Doc's grin faltered a bit when he heard the last part of Mary Margret's words and he looked at her with uncertainty. "Do you think that's wise?" He asked out of habit of fearing the former mayor._

_Mary Margret gave Doc a tilt of her head as she continued to smile, "I _think_ that Regina has proven time and time again that she has changed, I hope that others will see it soon too." She said with a slight emphasis on the word 'think'._

_Doc immediately felt guilty for his doubt, he knew like many others that Regina had changed and that she was a different person now. Nodding with his smile back in place the dwarf agreed, "I hope so too Snow, I think we have all dwelled in the past for long enough." _

_Mary Margret smiled a bit brighter and nodded her head in appreciation. "So do I." She grinned. Turning to continue her walk she called over her shoulder, "Have a good day Doc."_

"_You too Snow." The dwarf called back._

_It wasn't too much later that Mary Margret was walking up the path to the front of the Mayors Mansion. When the pixie haired woman reached the front stoop she knelt down and pulled the key out from under the mat lying at the base of the front door. Usually the key wasn't placed in some place so common, but Regina had decided to make an exception on hiding it in order to make it easier for Mary Margret and David to find. Inserting the key into the lock Mary Margret opened the door and walked into the house. "Hello?" Mary Margret greeted as she entered the house. "Regina?" She called when she heard no sounds coming from the kitchen or the den and saw no sign of life in the dining room. "Regina are you here?" Mary Margret called again as she walked around the downstairs of the house._

_Finding no sign of her former step-mother in the downstairs part of the house, Mary Margret began to ascend the stairs up to the second level. "Regina?" She asked as she gently pushed open the door of the woman's bedroom. What she saw when she peered inside made a chuckle rise from her throat and a smile part her lips. On top of the bed, wrapped up in sheets and clutching a pillow to her chest was Regina Mills. The woman was dressed in blue silk pajamas that gave off a slight sheen in the dimly lit room; her nose was buried in the soft pillow that she clung to and her brow was furrowed slightly. Mary Margret couldn't help but chuckle a bit more as her eyes caught sight of the little twitch her former step-mothers nose made as she slept. Quietly Mary Margret pulled out her phone and took a quick picture of the woman who was curled up asleep on the bed. She then tucked her phone back into her pocket and walked over to the edge of the bed, kneeling down she whispered, "Regina… Regina."_

_At the sound of Mary Margret's voice Regina's brow furrowed a bit more, she buried her nose deeper into the pillow as if trying to fight off whatever sound was trying to wake her._

"_Regina." Mary Margret whispered again a little louder._

"_Hmmm?" Regina responded weakly._

"_It's morning." Mary Margret said as she held back a giggle._

"_So?" Regina asked groggily, her voice quiet and a bit raspy with sleep._

_Mary Margret chuckled and replied, "So, that means it's time to get up."_

_Regina didn't respond for a moment and Mary Margret waited. "No." Regina mumbled and clutched the pillow tighter._

"_Yes Regina." Mary Margret insisted with a smile. "Come on, it's a beautiful day outside. I was thinking we could walk to Granny's and get breakfast." The younger woman said cheerfully._

"_I'm sleeping." Regina responded without opening her eyes and rolled over._

_Mary Margret shook her head and walked over to the windows of the room. The curtains were drawn shut allowing for little light to enter the dark bedroom making it perfectly easy for the queen to sleep in as late as she wished. Glancing over her shoulder Mary Margret took one final look at the peaceful sleeping form of Regina before turning back to the curtains and gripping the heavy dark fabric. "Sorry I had to do this the hard way Regina." She murmured to herself before she yanked the curtains open, letting bright rays of early morning sun shine in through the windows._

"_Ahhh!" Regina cried out in surprise as the bright light burst to life, shinning directly onto her bed. She rolled over quickly and clumsily, her hands grasping at the covers and throwing them ungracefully over herself like a shield. "CLOSE THE CURTAINS!" She yelled, anger stirring in her stomach as she heard her former step-daughter laughing. "NOW!" She demanded from where she hid under the blankets._

_Mary Margret was slow to react to the cowering woman's demands as she held her stomach in her fit of laughter. "Alright, alright." She snickered with tears in her eyes. "But before I do I want to make sure you're up." She added as she looked over at the bump under the covers that was her former step-mother._

_Regina clenched her jaw and poked her head out from under the covers, "I'm awake Mary Margret. NOW SHUT THOSE DAMNED CURTAINS!" She growled._

_With a simple yank on the fabric Mary Margret shut the curtains and cut off the light flowing into the room. She looked over at Regina with a smile and made her way over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Good morning." She chirped with a cheeky grin._

_Regina glared at the younger woman from where she was sitting curled up under her blankets, her golden brown eyes showing no hints of amusement. "For you maybe." She deadpanned._

_Mary Margret tilted her head and examined the woman sitting cross-legged under the blankets on the bed. "Regina, what's wrong?" She asked curiously. "You never sleep in this late." The former princess added because she knew it was a fact. In all the years she had known this woman, Regina Mills had never been one to sleep in._

"_Oh nothing's wrong, everything is just peachy, the world is all sunshine and kittens." The older woman responded sarcastically._

_Mary Margret's brow furrowed at the response and she examined Regina closely. "Regina, what happened?" She asked calmly, she wanted to help the former mayor in any way she could._

"_What happened!? WHAT HAPPENED!?" Regina shouted, her voice full of exasperation. "How about the fact that I'm pregnant!? Or the fact that I have been side lined while you and your charming family take on a group of some of the worst villains I've ever known!? Or how about the fact that I don't know what the hell I'm doing!?" She paused and threw herself back into the pillows; her eyes gaze up at the ceiling. "How do I do this?" She asked in quiet desperation._

_Mary Margret paused and looked at the woman, unsure of whether to be amused or concerned. "Do what Regina? Have a baby?" She asked._

"_No!" Regina groaned and covered her face with her hands. "How do I get up in the mornings without coffee?" She moaned loudly._

_Mary Margret paused, completely unsure if she had heard the older woman right. "Coffee?" She echoed._

"_Yes! Coffee, red wine, alcohol in general! How am I supposed to survive 9 months without drinking any of those things!? That is basically all I drink!" Regina fretted as she lay with her hands over her face._

_As she listened to Regina rant, Mary Margret covered her mouth to hold back her giggling. Her mint green eyes watered with laughter as she tried to bottle up her amusement. Taking a deep breath and attempting to hide the laughter in her voice she confessed, "I don't know Regina. But it sounds to me like you might need to start getting used to orange juice and decaffeinated tea."_

_Regina sat up, her whiskey brown eyes sweeping over Mary Margret in a quick examination. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She accused._

"_Only a little." Mary Margret lied and stood up from the bed. "Now come on, get up. We are going to Granny's for breakfast so you can enjoy a nice large glass of orange juice." She announced with a smirk._

_Regina glared at the younger woman as she exited the bedroom. "And they called me the Evil Queen!" She shouted as she heard Mary Margret heading down the stairs. She listened closely and smiled slightly when she heard the laughter coming from the other woman all the way down stairs. Glancing down at her stomach Regina put on a fake glare and playfully threatened, "I'm going to ground you for this someday little one." Putting her hand on her shirt covered abdomen she smiled, "And trust me, I'm not one to forget such promises."_

.

.

.

"How the bloody hell do I do this!?" Robin growled as he reached the steps outside of Granny's , one hand was on the large stroller David had lent him for Danielle, the other rubbing his forehead as he looked at the short flight of stairs up to the outwards opening door of the diner. The archer felt a flicker of annoyance burn in the center of his stomach as the large purple diaper bag on his shoulder began to slide down his arm again. Reaching up he readjusted it for the tenth time in five minutes, his ocean blue eyes glancing back and forth from the stairs to the stroller. He took a breath and walked over in front of the large stroller, kneeling down to get to eye level with the smiling baby inside.

"Alright now Danielle." He said as if he were about ready to talk her through the plans for a heist. "Here's what we're up against." He turned the stroller so that the infant could see the stairs and outward swinging door. Turning the stroller back towards himself he reached in and touched his index finger to his daughters small hand, the tiny appendage quickly grabbing hold of his finger in a cute little fist. "I know it looks difficult and the odds are not in our favor, but we've bound to have been through worse and have come out on top." He grinned when Danielle gave him a toothless smile and the cutest little laugh. "That's the spirit my girl, so long as we work together we can overcome any trial." He said and leaned in to gently kiss the top of her head. Little did the archer know that that saying would become the sacred words he and his daughter would share for many years to come.

After carefully removing his index finger from his daughter's fist Robin stood up and walked over behind the stroller again. Adjusting the diaper bag on his shoulder quickly, he then placed his hands on the handle bar of the stroller and began backing up towards the stairs. He took one step up, then another until the back wheels of the stroller hit the stairs. Tilting the stroller to the side as gently as he could Robin tried to maneuver the back wheels up onto the steps. He grunted when some idiot coming out the door hit him in the back sending him ungracefully down the steps and causing the stroller to be jostled roughly. Danielle began to cry at the disturbance and Robin looked up at the woman who was talking on her cell phone as she rushed away giving the archer a dirty look, as if he had been in her way. Danielle cried loudly and Robin rushed over to the front of the stroller.

Kneeling down in front of his little girl Robin looked distressed and heartbroken to see his little girl crying. "Shhhh, it's alright, it's okay. Don't cry Danielle, Papa didn't mean to scare you. It's okay, it's okay, you don't need to cry." Robin pled in an attempt at a calming tone of voice. "Please don't cry Danielle, we are going to be nice and warm inside Granny's very soon. Just please bear with Papa, please." He whispered and wished with all his heart that Regina were there by his side to help him. He knew that she would have had all of this figured out by now if she were there. As Danielle continued to cry Robin stood up and began trying to maneuver the stroller up the stairs as delicately as he could in order to keep from jostling his little girl again. Suddenly however the large diaper bag on his shoulder began to slip just as Robin was getting the front wheels of the stroller onto the stairs. "No! No! No!" Robin begged as the straps of the surprisingly heavy bag put his arm at an awkward angle and he tried to balance both the bag and the stroller. He felt panicked and overwhelmed by the cries of his daughter and the fact that he couldn't make all of this work.

"Here! Let us help!" A voice called and Robin looked up to see a man and a young girl racing over towards him. "Grace, grab the bag then the door." The man instructed the girl and she nodded, racing over to remove the large purple bag from Robin's arm, which Robin over gave more than willingly. She then slid past the archer and carefully opened the door wide, holding it for him. "On three we lift." The man stated and brought Robin's attention back to him. The stranger was standing at the front of the large stroller with his fingers carefully curled underneath, his bright blue eyes looking up at Robin making sure he had the archer's attention. Robin nodded. "Alright, one, two, three." The man and Robin lifted at the same time; together they carried the stroller with the crying baby up the stairs and into the diner.

Grace came in behind them and let the door close, her eyes immediately going to look at the crying baby. "She's crying Papa, is there anything we can do to help her?" The girl asked and looked at her father.

The man looked up at Robin questioningly and asked, "May I? I promise I won't hurt her." He nodded towards Danielle.

Robin hesitated for a moment; he had only just met this man and didn't know how far his trust in the stranger should stretch. But after a moment Robin came to the decision that if the stranger tried anything that he could stop him or someone else in the diner full of people who adored Danielle would. "If you think it would help." Robin consented with a nod.

The man nodded and glanced over at the girl named Grace and gave her a smile. He then reached down into the stroller and unbuckled Danielle, picking her up he held her carefully in his arms. Robin watched in awe as the man began to sway a bit, holding Danielle close to him as he hummed a soft tune. Within mere seconds Danielle began to quiet down, her cries turning to sniffles, until she was silently staring up at the man who held her as he hummed. After several more minutes passed Danielle had drifted off in the arms of the stranger who smiled kindly down at her. "Grace, come here." He whispered and the girl stepped forward. He carefully placed the baby in her arms as Robin watched; the young girl smiled and held the infant in her arms lovingly. The man looked up at Robin and smiled, "Don't worry; Grace is gifted with young ones." He assured.

Robin was speechless for a moment, truly awed by the kindness just shown to him by the two strangers. "It appears you both are." Robin said and stepped forward towards the man with his hand out. "You have my thanks…" He paused realizing that he still didn't know the man's names.

"Jefferson." The stranger introduced himself and shook Robin's hand. "And don't think anything of it, I know what it's like handling a little one on your own, I was just lucky that Grace decided to go easy on me." He said with a light laugh. "Might I ask your name?"

"Robin." The archer answered .

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Robin." Jefferson replied then nodded towards two empty seats by the stroller. Robin smiled and sat down enjoying not having to be on his feet for a moment. Jefferson sat down across from Robin and rested his arms on the table. "So I take it the little ones mother is at work?" He asked in an innocent and friendly manner.

Robin immediately went ridged and a pained look flashed across his features. "Hummmm." He cleared his throat and blinked a few times to keep his eyes from watering. "Umm, no… Danielle's mother… she died." The archer uttered carefully and looked down at the napkin dispenser.

Jefferson felt sympathy for the single father sitting across from him; he knew what it was like to think he was going to have a family, only to have a member ripped away too soon. "I'm sorry." He stated gently. "I didn't mean to reopen such a painful wound."

Robin moved his thumb repeatedly across a napkin in front of him and silently said, "It was never closed."

Jefferson nodded; he knew all too well what the man in front of him was feeling. "Part of it never will be." He said and looked over at Grace who was still holding onto Danielle's sleeping form with a smile as she cradled the baby. "But one thing that helps ease the pain is them." He nodded towards the children before looking back at Robin who was now staring up at him.

"Graces mother?" Robin asked.

"Died when Grace was still small." Jefferson replied with a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"Danielle's mother passed close to two months ago." Robin admitted knowing that it was only fair that he also answer the question that was bound to come up at some point.

Jefferson froze for a moment and looked over at Danielle, he hadn't put much thought into it at first, but now it was hard to not realize. "The Queen?" He asked. "Danielle is Regina's daughter?" His blue eyes met Robin's and he could see the archer was staring at him with a suddenly very defensive look in his eyes.

"Yes." Robin said and watched the man suspiciously after having seen how Jefferson had suddenly changed at the mention of his little girl's name. His natural instinct was to be ready to protect his child if things were to turn for the worst, but he hoped they wouldn't. Either way he was watching the man in front of him very carefully.

Jefferson leaned back in his chair and let out a gust of air, his hand pushing through his hair. "I had heard she was pregnant and that she died… I didn't know Danielle was…" He then looked at Robin and sighed knowing that the archer wouldn't stop seeing him as a possible threat until Robin understood why he had reacted like that. "I knew Regina, I knew her before all the evil stuff. I… I tricked her once into thinking I was going to help her bring back her first love, Daniel. We have definitely had our rough patches but that was always between her and I. I am not one to blame others for what they are not at fault for. We all make mistakes; the hardest part is living with them." Jefferson admitted. "I helped Rumpelstiltskin make his monster, I helped turn Regina into who she became… and I paid for it. For the longest time… years actually I was angry as hell at her for trapping me in Wonderland. But I've come to realize that anger doesn't get me anything but heartbreak, and any anger I managed to hold onto through all these years, it has disappeared since I got Grace back." He paused and analyzed Robin's reaction; he knew that it was best not to have skeletons in the closet. "Let's just say, the Mad Hatter isn't so mad anymore. Especially not at a child." He swore.

Robin listened to the man in front of him and watched Jefferson carefully. He couldn't help but wonder why the man was spilling all his deep dark secrets that would possibly make Robin want to beat him until he was unconscious. But as he looked into Jefferson's eyes he could tell that the man was speaking the truth, he could see something very evident in the Mad Hatter's gaze, it was understanding. Jefferson understood that Robin might get angry; he understood that he might think Danielle wasn't safe, he understood what Robin was going through. "Why tell me this?" Robin spoke in a voice that still hinted towards the rage that this man had helped ruin his soul mates life.

Jefferson leaned forward against the table, "Because Robin, I want to help you. There aren't many others in this town who have the experience I do with raising a little girl all by yourself." The hatter pointed out. "Besides, I think Grace has taken a liking to Danielle." He added on a lighter note and nodded over at the counter at the young girl who sat smiling down at the baby in her arms.

Robin looked at the counter and watched the girl gently press a kiss to his daughters' forehead, the scene made a small smile tug at his lips. He looked back over at Jefferson and took a breath before asking, "Coffee?" He saw the man smile and nod at the offer. Though his didn't trust the hatter fully yet, it was worth giving the man a chance, he was right, Robin needed friends he could turn to in the years to come. So Robin would give Jefferson a shot.

**Okay! Now we got Jefferson involved! Yes! Don't worry, you are going to get some great scenes of David, Robin, and Jefferson all hanging out together trying to take care of Danielle and stuff like that. Also, I know I keep promising funny stories with Robin and Danielle, I PROMISE THEY ARE COMING! YOU ARE GOING TO BE GETTING A LOT OF FLUFF AND FUNNY STORIES BETWEEN THEM! Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and reviewed! It means a lot! Please keep them coming! Love y'all!**

**PS. If you guys have prompts for Regina flash backs or Robin and Danielle moments then let me know! I also am going to try not jumping around with Danielle's age.**


	6. Music

**Music**

_As David entered the mansion with a paper bag labeled 'Granny's' on it he was hit by an instant of surprise that made him stop where he stood and stand extremely still and silent. The surprise did not come from the smell of warm apple pie floating out from the kitchen or the carton of vanilla ice cream left on the dining room table in front of him. Instead it came from the sound that hit his ears and made him freeze in his tracks for an instant before pulling out his cell phone. Stealthily the former prince crept through the foyer, his hand remaining as steady as possible as he held onto the bag of food and held his phone up. When he reached the wall that stood beside the doorway leading to the sitting room he paused and listened. When he was sure he hadn't been detected, David peered around the corner of the doorway into the sitting room with his phone in hand. He smiled at the sight of what he saw before him._

_At the corner of the room stood an ebony colored grand piano that David had seen many times before in the house but never put much thought into. But now as he saw the calm and relaxed figure of Regina sitting in front of the instrument he couldn't help but let a smile spread across his lips. She clearly hadn't noticed him since she continued to play as if she were completely alone and hadn't a care in the world, it was almost unbelievable how human she looked. David of course knew Regina far better now than he once had, she was no longer the terrifying Evil Queen in his eyes, but she still held a certain powerful aura that made her seem as if she were so much more than what she really was. It was rare for David to see her with all her defenses down and it had only truly happened once before on that day in the stable when he had almost shot Daniel only to find out later that Regina had been forced to destroy the man she loved herself. It was something else entirely to be able to see the woman's shields down without the tears he had witnessed on that day, here and now in front of him she looked to be happy, content, even glowing a bit. Holding up his cell phone David quickly snapped a few pictures of Regina at her piano as she played on and even took a short video without her realizing. He smiled and sent the pictures and video to Mary Margret, knowing that she would be delighted to have the recorded moments._

_Once he had tucked the cell phone back into his jacket pocket, David stepped into the room. "I didn't know you played piano." He said and held back a smirk when he saw Regina jump slightly in surprise and whip around to face him. Her expression looked as if it were trying to decide whether to be angry or embarrassed as a light pink flushed her cheeks and her wide golden brown eyes narrowed slightly._

"_You shouldn't sneak up on me David." Regina finally advised coolly. "I would hate to have to explain to Mary Margret as to why her husband needed to be returned home as an urn of ashes." She pointed out with a raised eyebrow that made her threat only half serious._

"_Yeah, that would be a hard one to explain." David agreed with a laugh as he walked over to the chair beside Regina and sat down resting the bag of food on his lap as his fingers worked to open it. "I got lunch, figured you might be hungry." He said as he looked up from the bag and watched her face as she examined him carefully._

"_You know David; I'm pregnant, not invalid." The former queen pointed out as she watched him look up at her with amusement dancing in his ice blue eyes._

"_Regina, are we talking about food still or about the fact that we don't want you getting involved with the Queen's of Darkness and Gold?" He teased as he began pulling food out of the brown paper bag._

_Regina rolled her eyes and shot him a look of annoyance. "Shut up and give me my food David." She commanded, her tone giving away the fact that she was still actually enjoying his company despite the comments and teasing._

_David laughed and shrugged, "Alright, alright, the queen's wish is my command." He teased again and just barely avoided Regina swatting his upper arm. "Sheesh I forget sometimes that you aren't afraid to throw a fist instead of a fireball!" He exclaimed and passed the woman sitting at the piano the white Styrofoam container that held her food._

" _Don't worry dear, it's not just you who forgets that." Regina consoled with a sassy smirk and accepted the container with a soft "Thank you." She lifted the lid and looked at the food inside, "Umm… David?" She asked and glanced up at the former prince._

"_Yes?" He replied as he pushed a french-fry into his mouth._

"_What is this?" Regina asked and turned the container so that he could see the greasy food inside._

"_Well Regina, that would be something called a bacon cheddar cheeseburger with a side of fries." The prince answered with a cheeky grin. "I thought you might be able to recognize a burger when you saw one?" He joked._

_Regina's jaw tightened and she tilted her head her brow raised. Suddenly she shot her arm out and punched the man beside her hard in the shoulder. "Don't talk down to me Charming!" She warned though she had a playful glint in her eyes._

"_Oww! Regina! That hurt!" David gasped and rubbed his shoulder. "Geeze, I'm sorry." He apologized with his hands raised in surrender and glanced back over at the former queen to see she was watching him, clearly very amused. _

"_Oh come on David! I didn't hit you that hard." Regina exclaimed with a shake of her head as she tentatively picked up a french-fry._

"_Well it was hard enough to hurt." David countered and leaned forward, watching closely as the woman who was possibly the biggest health nut he knew pick up a french-fry between her fingers. "Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!" The former prince began to chant._

_Regina looked at him and rolled her eyes again. "Jesus, you're like the little brother I never wanted." She stated and watched as David's smirk only grew and he continued the chant to pressure her to eat the greasy finger food. "Fine! Look, I'll eat it! Just please shut up!" She groaned._

"_I'll shut up once you've eaten it." David promised before taking a bite of his burger._

"_Alright then." Regina agreed and raised the fry to her mouth. She bit it in two quickly and chewed, popping the second half in past her lips the instant the first was gone. With a swallow she looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "Satisfied?" _

"_Nope, you still have to eat the rest of it." David pointed out and nodded towards her burger and the rest of the fries. "Besides, the grease will settle your stomach. At least that's how Mary Margret says she got through her final months of being pregnant with Neal." He added with a shrug._

_Regina glanced at the food and sighed, she hadn't really been able to eat much lately and keep it down. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was getting to the point that she would do whatever anyone with experience told her would work. "Well, you had better be right." She informed him with a stern stare. "Because if I get sick, I'm throwing up on you." She threatened._

"_I'm only trying to help." David assured her. "Now eat before it gets cold." _

_Regina shot him a warning glance to not patronize her again before she dug into the food. She had to admit that it tasted amazing, but she wouldn't ever say so out loud, especially to David or Emma because then she would never escape there smug looks at the diner. Rather quickly however the meal disappeared along with some of David's French-fries when he wasn't looking. Once she was finished Regina wiped her hands and mouth on a napkin and let out a satisfied sigh. "Oh my… David! There's no nausea!" She smiled and looked over the moon._

"_Ha! Told you!" The former prince laughed and finished his meal. The two sat in silence for a moment before David asked the question that had been flitting around in his head from the moment he sat down. "What song were you playing?"_

_Regina was resting her hand on her stomach as she sat on the piano bench. She looked down at the keys before looking up at David. "River Flows in You." She replied. "I… I read somewhere that playing music is good for a fetus, that it helps them to know their parents even from within the womb." She said and moved her thumb in circular motions over the still small 9 week old baby bump growing under her dark purple blouse. _

"_Well, it was beautiful. Your kid is defiantly going to have a high appreciation of music if you keep playing like that." David assured her with a smile._

_Regina ducked her head a bit in embarrassment. She had never made her deep appreciation and love for music known, just as she had never shown off her exceptional aptitude for the much beloved art. "Thank you David, that's very kind of you to say." She uttered and looked up at the man who had become a close friend, almost brother like figure to her._

"_Do you play anything else?" He asked curiously as he couldn't help but begin to wonder what other little things Regina hidden from the rest of the world including his wife. He couldn't help but smirk internally at the thought that he was finding out things about the former queen that not even Mary Margret knew. He had never expected that one day he would have become so close to Regina that he'd consider her to be a part of his family._

_Regina shrugged slightly and ran her fingers over the white piano keys as she thought. "Aside from piano." She began and smiled fondly. "I can play the flute, the harp, the violin, the cello, and the- oh never mind." She quickly cut herself off._

"_The what?" David inquired, wondering what instrument she could play that could possible make her embarrassed. _

_Regina looked at him and her lips were pressed together as if she were pondering whether she should reveal her secret to him or not. "You can't tell anyone and you most certainly cannot make fun of me for this, promise?" She instructed while giving him a stern look._

"_Regina, I swear that I won't make fun of you and I won't tell anyone." David swore and even drew an X over his heart to emphasize how serious he was. "So what is it?"_

_Regina took a breath and tilted her head to the side in a nervous manner. "Guitar… acoustic guitar to be exact." She admitted._

"_And I'm guessing you didn't learn it in the enchanted forest?" David asked with a smile._

_Regina looked up at him with wide whiskey brown eyes. "You said you wouldn't make fun of me!" She accused._

"_And I'm not!" David defended with a genuine smile. "I'm just asking a question." He added._

_Regina gave him an uncertain glance before nodding, "Alright, I didn't learn it in the enchanted forest. I picked it up during the curse… it seemed interesting and beautiful so I figured why not try it, and I've been playing ever since." She confided._

"_Regina, that's amazing!" David beamed at her. "Do you know how much talent it takes to play that many instruments? Most people are lucky to get one or two under their belt, you've mastered six." He praised then paused a moment to look at her. "Wait, do you sing?" He asked._

_With a moment of hesitance Regina finally gave a small nod. "It's quite awful though." She admitted._

"_I'll be the judge of that." David determined and gave her a nod. "Sing."_

"_What! No!" Regina protested._

"_Oh come on Regina, I'm the only one listening." David pressured wanting to know if she really was as awful as she seemed to think she was._

"_No David!" She scowled and crossed her arms._

_David wasn't taking no for an answer, he was determined to get the former queen to sing. Sliding out of his chair he got on his knees in front of her and held out his hands. "Please Regina! Please! Look I'm even groveling!" He begged playfully and Regina couldn't help but laugh._

"_Yes and it doesn't look as flattering as I would have thought." She mocked him with a condescending Evil Queen look._

"_Regina! Pleeeeeeease!" David drew out the last word in a child like manner._

"_Fine!" The queen snapped. "Just please stop with the childish behavior, you are a grown man not a five year old." She sighed as she stood up off the piano bench._

"_Wait, where are you going?" David asked as he watched her stand up and followed her by rising to his feet._

_As Regina made her way across the room to the entrance of the foyer she held up her hand indicating for him to stay where he was. "Just stay here, and don't break anything." She instructed and left the room, making her way up the stairs to the second level._

_David let out a heavy sigh and sat back down on the chair, looking around the room at all the furniture and decorations that looked so different from the colorful and bright decorations he had come to love that decorated his and Mary Margret's house. His attention was snapped back to the doorway when Regina entered again with a beautiful acoustic guitar in her hand. "Really? You're going to sing and play?" David asked and couldn't help but feel honored._

"_Well I figured that that would be your next demand, so why not stay one step ahead?" Regina shot back with a smirk as she sat down and positioned the guitar, strumming her fingers across the chords._

"_Wow Regina, how does it feel to know the inner workings of a Charming's brain?" David teased._

"_Terrifying." Regina replied with a haughty smirk. "Now are you going to be quiet or should I just put this away?" She asked._

"_No! No! I'm shutting up!" David insisted and sat in the chair ready to listen._

"_Alright." Regina said and took a deep breath. She began to strum the chords of the guitar and started playing the beginning of the song. Within a few heartbeat's she opened her mouth and began singing._

"_**Come stop your crying  
It will be alright  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight**_

_**I will protect you**_  
_**From all around you**_  
_**I will be here**_  
_**Don't you cry**_

_**For one so small,**_  
_**You seem so strong**_  
_**My arms will hold you,**_  
_**Keep you safe and warm**_  
_**This bond between us**_  
_**Can't be broken**_  
_**I will be here**_  
_**Don't you cry**_

_**'Cause you'll be in my heart**_  
_**Yes, you'll be in my heart**_  
_**From this day on**_  
_**Now and forever more**_

_**You'll be in my heart**_  
_**No matter what they say**_  
_**You'll be here in my heart, always"**_

_She stopped moving her fingers over the strings of the instrument and looked up at David, an internal struggle raging on to keep herself from turning bright red with embarrassment._

"_Regina, that was amazing!" David exclaimed with a look of genuine surprise. "I had no idea you could sing like that!"_

_Despite the former queen's best fight to stop it, her cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment. "It wasn't that great." She muttered and looked down at the chords to avoid eye contact with the man sitting across from her._

"_Are you kidding me? It was incredible!" David burst and watched as she grew redder in the cheeks, her eyes averting his gaze. "Oh my, is the Evil Queen embarrassed?" He teased._

"_No!" Regina defended all too quickly. She then paused and tried to collect herself, her fingers running along the smooth wood the guitar was made of. "I just don't often play for others, let alone sing." She admitted. "I mean the last time I sang to someone it was Henry and he was only a baby; I doubt he even remembers it." She sighed._

_The former prince looked at her and his expression softened as he realized how much the woman across from him had truly opened up to him. He couldn't help but feel truly honored that he was getting to see such a different and more humanized side of the former Evil Queen, he knew now that this was the woman that his wife had held onto hope for throughout all the years and all the pain. "You never know Regina, Henry is a smart kid and remembers more than you probably think. I bet if he heard you he would probably remember it, just like that little one will when he or she is older." David nodded towards Regina's stomach where her small baby bump was._

"_Well I don't plan on performing on any open mic nights, so I doubt Henry will be hearing me play anytime soon." Regina pointed out feeling a bit too exposed for her liking._

"_He doesn't have to hear you live Regina." David replied, a small grin growing on his face._

_Regina looked at David, a bit unsettled by the look in his eye. She knew that look and had come to dread it; it was the look of David getting an idea. "What are you thinking David?" She asked and put the guitar down carefully, her hands moving to rest on her baby bump like she had come to do more and more often._

"_We could make a CD of you singing and playing instruments. I could be for the baby to listen to after it's born." David suggested excitedly and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees._

_Regina's eyes widened in surprise and she scoffed, "No David, that's absured! I'm not going to record myself singing and playing instruments!"_

"_You said it yourself Regina, the baby will most likely hear the music and connect it to you, so what could possibly be better than that to calm your baby if you are ever out and someone is babysitting!" David argued. "Besides, Henry could help and then it would be a good chance for you two to bond over old memories." The former prince pointed out._

"_No David!" Regina said firmly._

"_Regina! You have a true gift, something you love; don't you want to share it with your children?" David asked knowing that guilt tripping her using children was low, but his cause was a worthy one._

_Regina studied him for a moment and bit her lip. Looking down at her small baby bump she thought about the idea and about how it would be nice for her son or daughter to be able to have her near even if she was out somewhere else. Looking up at David she sighed, "We make one CD and only one. It goes to my children and no one else." She said sternly. _

"_Deal." David said and stuck his hand out._

_Regina took his hand and shook. "I'm trusting you David, this goes nowhere else but to my children." She reinforced._

"_Regina, I promise you that this won't be exploited." David swore and smiled at her. "Now let me call Henry and we can get started."_

.

.

.

"JEFFERSON!" Robin shouted frantically as he held his crying daughter in his arms and tried to rock her and sooth her like Jefferson had shown him to. "JEFFERSON!" Robin called again, his voice full of distress as Danielle continued shrieking and crying.

There was a thud and a fumbling sound and suddenly Jefferson came bursting through the doorway of Danielle's nursery in the Mayor's Mansion. "What did you do to her?!" Jefferson gasped as he saw the red faced baby and the panic faced Robin.

"Nothing! I did bloody nothing to her! She just started crying so I came in and picked her up to get her to stop! But she won't stop!" Robin yelled back at his friend causing Danielle to cry louder.

"Well maybe if you would stop yelling!" Jefferson pointed out loudly.

"You're yelling too!" Robin countered.

"Okay! We both stop yelling!" Jefferson determined and looked at Robin to agree.

Robin nodded and turned back to the baby in his arms. "Is that better Danielle? Papa and Uncle Jefferson aren't yelling anymore." He asked the baby in a softer tone but was only rewarded with a particularly loud screech.

"Does she need to be changed?" Jefferson asked as he came closer to the distressed pair.

"I just changed her." Robin answered and rocked Danielle as gently as he could.

"Has she been fed? Did you burp her? Does she have a fever?" Jefferson fired off the questions at a rapid pace that caused Robin's head to spin a bit.

"Yes, yes, and no." The archer answered. "Nothing seems to work. She won't take her pacifier, her stuffed horse isn't calming her, rocking her isn't doing anything. I don't know what to do!" Robin admitted looking genuinely upset. He couldn't help but think that everything would be solved by now if Regina were here. "I don't know what to do…" He repeated in a bit more defeated voice.

Jefferson looked at his friend and saw the sorrowful look cloud the man's eyes as he stood rocking his daughter. He knew that there had to be something he could do, he couldn't let his friend go into some dark place full of defeat because of this.

Suddenly a light bulb seemed to go off in Jefferson's head and he turned fast, racing out of the room. "I'll be right back! I just need to call David!" The Hatter shouted over his shoulder as he left Robin standing in the room looking utterly confused. Racing to the house phone Jefferson quickly dialed David's number and pressed call before putting the phone to his ear.

It took a few heartbeats of ringing but the former prince picked up with a, "Hello? Robin?"

"No, not Robin. This is Jefferson, David we need your help." Jefferson said as he stood at the bottom of the stairs listening to Danielle's crying.

"Sure, what's up? Is everything okay?" David replied as the former prince stood in his kitchen drinking a mug of coffee.

"Yeah, everything is fine." Jefferson said quickly before flinching at the sound of Danielle screeching again. "Danielle is just screaming and crying loud enough to make our ears bleed and we can't get her to stop." The Hatter admitted.

David put his mug down and straightened up a bit. "Did you change her diapers?" He asked.

"Yes." Jefferson replied.

"Feed her? Burp her? Does she have a fever?" David inquired rapidly.

"I already asked all of that and Robin fed her, burped her, and checked her for fever." Jefferson informed him with a sigh. "He tried everything to get her to stop but she just keeps going."

David sighed and tried to think of what to do. "How is Robin handling it?" He asked out of concern as he tried to think.

"Well, he is a single father trying to still get over the death of his true love while trying to raise their kid and the kid won't stop crying. How do you think he's doing?" Jefferson questioned in a harsh tone.

David sighed and rubbed his head. "Okay, I get it." He said in surrender. "I'm trying to think of something, just give me a minute."

"Okay, just hurry. I think Robin has started crying too, either that or Danielle has had a major voice crack." Jefferson stated and looked up the stairs hearing Robin crying, not as loudly as Danielle but loud enough for him to hear at the bottom of the stairs.

"I got it!" David announced quickly and looked around the loft apartment.

"You do?" Jefferson demanded.

"Yeah! Just give me five minutes and I'll be there!" David confirmed before yelling, "Henry! Grab the CD!"

"CD? What CD?" Jefferson asked through the phone.

"You'll see, be there in five." David concluded and hung up.

Jefferson put the phone down and raced back upstairs into the nursery. His eyes widened when he saw Robin and Danielle, the baby was still red in the face and crying loudly as Robin sobbed and held her. The archer cried his eyes red and desperate. "David and Henry are coming to help." Jefferson told him when Robin looked up at him.

"How soon?" The archer inquired as he tried to stop his own crying.

"Only a few minutes. Stay strong Robin." Jefferson encouraged trying to be a support system.

Four minutes later Jefferson heard the front door of the mansion burst open and then heard several pairs of footsteps climbing the stairs. "In here!" He shouted and winced when Danielle shrieked again.

Suddenly Henry and David came racing into the nursery with wide surprised eyes at the sight of Danielle shrieking and crying while Robin's eyes were still read though he himself had stopped his tears. "Henry, put the CD in the CD player." David instructed with a nod towards the device.

"Right." Henry said and made his way quickly over to the CD player, opening it up he popped the CD in his hand into the player and closed the device then pressed start.

A heart beat later through the cries of Danielle, the beginnings of a song could be heard. Each of the men and Henry stopped what they were doing and listened to the music.

"_**Come stop your crying  
It will be alright  
Just take my hand  
Hold it tight**_

_**I will protect you**_  
_**From all around you**_  
_**I will be here**_  
_**Don't you cry**_

_**For one so small,**_  
_**You seem so strong**_  
_**My arms will hold you,**_  
_**Keep you safe and warm**_  
_**This bond between us**_  
_**Can't be broken**_  
_**I will be here**_  
_**Don't you cry**_

_**'Cause you'll be in my heart**_  
_**Yes, you'll be in my heart**_  
_**From this day on**_  
_**Now and forever more**_

_**You'll be in my heart**_  
_**No matter what they say**_  
_**You'll be here in my heart, always"**_

Robin held Danielle in his arms and looked down at her to see her face was returning to its normal color and her tears were gone. She was sucking on her fist and looking up at him with wide brown eyes. He looked down at her and smiled, "Better?" He asked softly and kissed to top of her head.

"I thought this might work. Mary Margret and I used to play it for her almost every night." David said as he listened, a sad look in his eyes.

"It's mom." Henry said softly and Robin looked up at him.

The archer listened to the song and knew the boy couldn't be wrong, this beautiful voice singing to his child and calming her could be no other than Regina's. His heart ached as the music continued to play on, "I never knew that your mother could sing like this." He admitted as he felt his mind wonder to what it would have been like to discover this himself. He imagined the discovery happening with him peering into Danielle's nursery and watching Regina rocking their daughter and singing her a lullaby, he imagined leaning against the doorframe and listening to her sweet voice, knowing that from that moment on that all other music would sound like nothing compared to the voice of his love. But that wasn't what had happened.

"No one really did." Henry sighed sadly with tears in his eyes. "I had almost forgotten until I heard her when David, she, and I were making this CD for Danielle."

Robin nodded and looked down into his arms to look at his daughter. The little infant was now completely relaxed and falling asleep as she listened to her mother's voice. Robin smiled at the sight and held his baby girl close. "Why make a CD?" He asked softly. "It's not as if you all knew what was going to happen to Regina." He pointed out.

David rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the archer. "That would be my doing." The former prince admitted. "I convinced Regina to record herself singing and playing music just in case Danielle ever needed to hear her voice when being babysat. It was silly and she almost didn't do it." David explained.

"I'm glad she did, and I'm glad you convinced her to." Robin thanked and gave David an appreciative nod. "It's nice to hear her voice again; it's nice that Danielle knows her voice."

Henry stepped forward and put his hand on Robin's shoulder, looking down at the archer. "It makes it feel like she isn't really gone." He said and Robin's heart ached knowing that that was exactly what it felt like.

"I don't think she ever truly will be." Robin admitted to the boy and both of them gave a small smile. They spent the rest of the day listening to the CD as Danielle slept peacefully in her Papa's arms, her big brother never leaving her side.

**And here we are, new update for you fine folks! I hope you enjoy it, I really enjoyed writing David and Regina's brotp bantering. They are always just so funny together and treat each other like siblings. You also got to see the Robin, Jefferson, David brotp with a little Henry thrown in. I really hope you all enjoyed this and I will try to update as soon as I can. Please comment and review! Love you all!**

**PS. The song is "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins**


	7. Bonding Time

**Bonding Time**

_For close to a week and a half dark clouds had covered the skies of Storybrooke in a murky chilling gloom that was only intensified by the constant down pour of ice cold rain that battered the town. Everyone had eluded wondering out into the streets unless it couldn't be avoided, slick ice covered the sidewalks causing unwary travelers to slip and slide dangerously beside the roads. Many homes had a warm glow coming from their windows as families stayed indoors huddled up under warm blankets together. For the first time in a long time 108 Mifflin Street was not excluded from the pack of matching houses, it too had a warm glow shinning from its windows and laughter filled the air inside the home. _

"_Henry it's your turn to spin." Mary Margret announced from where she knelt on the floor by the coffee table, her pale cheeks flushed pink with laughter._

"_Alright alright, I'm spinning." The teenage boy laughed and reached over a bowl of chips to grasp the spinner. With a flick of his wrist the wheel turned and landed on a six which was greeted by a loud roar of laughter as the boy moved his orange car across the LIFE board, landing on the chapel square._

"_Awww look Regina! Our little Henry is getting married!" Emma grinned teasingly and wrapped her arms around Henry. "You grew up so fast!" She cried out dramatically._

"_It seems like just yesterday you were proudly telling everyone in town you learned how to go potty in the toilet!" Regina reminisced playfully and pretended to wipe away tears._

"_MOM! MA! Stop it!" Henry groaned loudly, his ears turning red with embarrassment._

_Regina smiled and leaned forward in her chair, her 15 week old baby bump becoming more prevalent under her blouse by the action. "So tell us, who's the lucky girl?" She asked with a chuckle. "Anyone we know?"_

"_Would I tell you if you did?" Henry shot back with a raised brow that mirrored his adoptive mothers sass face perfectly._

"_OHHHHHHH! Henry's got some sass!" David announced loudly and was met by laughter from the four other people in the room._

_Henry shook his head and looked at his mom with his hand held out. "Just give me my wife so that Grandma can go." He insisted with a smile._

_Regina sighed dramatically and placed her hand in the bag of pieces to fish out a pink passenger for her son's car. "Fine fine, I guess you won't be getting a wedding gift from me." She informed him jokingly as she passed him the small pink piece._

"_I'm pretty sure I'll survive." Henry assured as he placed the pink piece into his small car. _

"_I might not." Mary Margret inserted as she spun and moved her car along the board landing on a 'car totaled' square. Everyone laughed as her mint green eyes looked pitifully at the bank loan Regina handed her. "I'm broke and in debt. This game is awful, it is so unfair." She pouted playfully as the white slips in front of her seemed to mock her misfortune. _

"_Nah, don't say that Mom, after all it is just a game." Emma comforted as she spun. "We can't all always win." She paused and a smirk appeared on her lips. "Unless you're Regina of course, because she always wins." She added and everyone nodded in agreement._

_Regina looked at them with wide eyes and sat up to defend herself. "I do not always win Miss Swan." She claimed. "Each of you has won just as much as I have."_

"_Only because you sat out all of those rounds. Regina we've kept score through each game night, no one has been able to beat you at LIFE." Emma pointed out and nodded towards the stacks of money in front of Regina. "I mean seriously, look at how much cash you have. It's like you never seem to land on a misfortune square." _

"_And that's all I ever seem to land on!" Mary Margret added, her eyes wide like a sad puppy._

_Regina looked around the room for a moment before suddenly a smile spread itself across her lips and she broke down into laughter. "This is great! I finally am beating Snow White at LIFE!" She laughed and had to be careful not to fall out of her chair. "I guess the dark curse did work after all!" She gasped through her laughter._

_Soon everyone was laughing their heads off at the irony of the situation, even Mary Margret had to lean against David to keep herself from topping over with laughter. "Wow Regina, I mean seriously WOW! All those years of fighting and you claim this as your victory?" David gasped through his laughter and pointed at the board. _

_Regina smiled at David and looked around the room, her whiskey brown eyes glittered with delight as she took in the scene of Henry, Emma, David and Mary Margret sitting around the coffee table in her den playing board games, eating popcorn, and laughing their heads off. She then unconsciously put her hand on her stomach, feeling her growing baby bump under her shirt, feeling the warm glow in her heart of the love she had for her child and for the people around her. "Yes, yes I do." She confirmed with a genuine smile and joyful tears pricking the corners of her eyes._

_Henry watched his mom wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her finger and jumped to his feet rushing over to gently envelop his mother in a hug. "Awww Mom, are you okay?" He asked with sincere concern in his voice, all eyes in the room now on the mother and son._

_Regina nodded and took a calming breath, "Yes Henry, I'm fine, I'm great actually." She assured him and stroked his head in a loving motherly gesture. _

"_But Regina, you're crying." Mary Margret pointed out and reached her hand up to hold onto her former step-mothers in a comforting gesture._

"_Mom, I think those are happy tears." Emma pointed out and looked at Regina for indication that she was right. _

"_Yes Emma, these are happy tears." Regina confirmed and gently squeezed Mary Margret's hand. "I'm only crying because of these hormones, I just can't help myself." She gasped and smiled as she wiped more tears away. "I'm sorry, I just…I do consider this my victory. I finally have the thing I have always wanted…" She gasped again and looked at the almost complete group, her heart aching slightly because she knew the only person missing was the man she could never again have. "A real family." She finished as she tried to push the aching for Robin to the side and appreciate the happiness she had left and the people who were still here with her._

"_Awww Regina!" Emma whined and hugged the woman, "You're gonna make me cry too!" She blonde complained playfully._

_David smiled as he looked at the family hug fest in front of him. It was a rare sight to see everyone embracing like they were, even Mary Margret was now moving from simply holding hands to wrapping her arms around her daughter, grandson, and former step-mother. With extreme silence the former prince pulled out his cell-phone and snapped a few pictures of the scene with a proud smile on his face. He then tucked the phone away and got up to join the hug._

_._

_._

_._

_Close to an hour and a half after the emotional family embrace Regina had bid her farewells to the Charmings, Emma, and Henry. The four had been poofed back to the apartment by Emma, leaving Regina alone for the night so that she could relax and get some much needed rest. Everything had been cleaned up by Henry and David before they had left for the night and Mary Margret had given Regina strict instructions to take a nice bubble bath, drink some tea, and then head straight to bed. Emma of course had suggested them taking Henry with them beings though the kid was hyped up on sugar and caffeine. _

_Regina couldn't help but smile as she made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom. She stripped out of her day clothes and wrapped a light blue silk bath robe around her underwear and bra clad body before going to work on turning on the bath water and selecting a sweet smelling vanilla bubble bath to add from her rather large collection of bath products. Feeling calm and relaxed already Regina decided to light a few small candles to enhance the soothing mood. As she finished magically lighting the last candle an uneasy chill ran down the former queen's spine, her senses instantly switching to high alert. The feelings quickly became justified when only a heart beat later Regina heard the bath water stop flowing into the tub. Her body stiffened and she clenched her fists ready to summon her magic in defense as she turned to face whoever had dared to intrude into her home._

"_Didn't want your bath to overflow Dearie, the water might damage your nicely tiled floor." Gold said as he sat on the edge of the bathtub, one hand dipped into the warm sweet smelling bubbly water casually._

"_What the hell are you doing here Gold!?" Regina growled and kept her hands up in defense, years of experience having taught her to never underestimate the immortal imp._

"_I just thought I would stop by and say hello." He said and removed his hand from the water, flicking his fingers to rid them of the water droplets clinging to his skin. "And have a nice little chat." He added and looked up across the bathroom at her._

_Regina looked him dead in the eyes and spoke in a firm and regal tone. "I have nothing to chat with you about Gold; you are not welcome in my town let alone my home." She declared and her chin rose as she continued. "Now get off my property."_

_Rising to his feet Gold held out his hands in a peaceful yet still assertive manner, "Come now Regina, at least give me a chance to speak, you better than any other know that my words never have empty meaning." He pressed._

_Regina shook her head and gave him a sarcastic smile, "Why would I listen to anything you have to say?!" She looked at him with anger burning in her eyes. "You and your sorority of darkness destroyed the only lead I had to the author and threatened my son's safety in the fire you set in order to do so!" She snarled, "Not to mention the fact that you are threatening the happiness of everyone in Storybrooke!"_

_Gold feigned confusion and waved his hand as he spoke, "Now Regina, since when have you started caring about anyone's happiness but your own?" He asked and raised his brow as he awaited an answer._

"_Since I realized that their happiness is also mine!" She informed him with a threatening glint in her whiskey brown eyes._

_Gold smirked and looked at her in a way that for an instant made Regina feel like she was once again his incompetent young apprentice. "No Dearie, it's not, and the longer you try to convince yourself of such a thing, the further you will find yourself from a true happy ending." He said and gave her a soft look._

"_Oh, and you think you know what my true happy ending would be?" The former queen challenged._

_Gold looked at her and then his gaze shifted down towards the small baby bump hidden by the blue cloth of her silk bath robe. "I think that one might be able to gather a relatively decent idea." He said and met her eyes again. "I do believe congratulations are in order." He added and gave her belly an acknowledging nod. _

_Regina's jaw tightened and instantly her motherly instincts had her hand resting protectively in front of her womb. _

_Gold shook his head and sighed, "I'm not going to hurt your child Regina." He assured her. "And neither are my allies." He added and looked at his former pupil calmly. "But I am here to extend to you the offer to join us." He announced. _

"_And why the hell would I ever join you?" Regina questioned. "You couldn't even appreciate the happiness you had, why on earth or any realm for that matter would I trust you with mine?" She pointed out knowing it was a low blow but still the truth._

_Gold winced, the comment hitting a sensitive spot like salt on an open wound. "Because," He began and his eyes flickered between Regina's and her baby bump. "with our help your child won't have to grow up without its father." He declared and smirked. "You are vital to our cause Regina; we want to prove that there is no author who controls our happiness. We are ready to give the villains their victory; we are ready to finally have our happy endings."_

_Regina's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Robin, every day her soul ached for the thief who had snuck his way into her heart and she constantly felt his absence as if it were a phantom that would forever haunt her. "Robin…" She whispered and felt tears burn at the corners of her eyes. She could have him back if Gold was telling the truth, she could be held in the arms of her outlaw and he would be there with her to raise their child. She could wake up every day to his warm embrace, she could have a beautiful family with him, she could have it all._

"_You can get him back Regina." Gold said with a small encouraging smile. "Join us and I can bring him back to you." He promised._

_The idea seemed so wonderful; having Robin back in her life would make her feel whole again. She could picture it now, Robin, their child, herself, and the rest of their family, all together. She could see them at the Charmings apartment, her child playing with Neal and Henry, she and Robin sharing a bottle of wine with Mary Margret, David and Emma. Suddenly however a red light went off in her head and she looked at Gold. "No." She uttered softly._

"_No?" Gold echoed questioningly. "Regina, think about it, I told you that I want to see you have your happy ending, now I can give it to you." He pressed and looked at the pregnant woman across from him trying to convince her._

"_By taking happy endings away from others!" Regina pointed out._

"_By taking happy endings away from those who stole them from us!" Gold corrected._

_Regina looked at him and shook her head. "No." She stated again firmly. "My happy ending will be what I make it! You can't just take happy endings, they have to be made, you have to choose to be happy…and I do." She declared. "I choose to be happy; I choose to make my happiness because I know that only then will I deserve it." The defiance shone brightly in her whiskey brown eyes as she stared at Gold._

"_You aren't one of them Regina, you aren't a hero, this isn't who you are." Gold informed her with a scowl. "You're heart is as dark as they come, YOU are as dark as they come." He snarled._

"_I've changed." She retorted with a firm tone in her voice, her unwavering gaze burning into the amber eyes of the man standing in front of her._

_Gold looked at his former pupil with disbelief, an irritated breath of air made its way past his lips as his nostrils flared in an attempt to cape his anger. "No Regina, you might have fooled yourself into believing you can change but we both know the truth." He replied and took a step closer to her knowing that she would be stubborn enough to stand her ground. "You are a monster just like the rest of us and the only happy ending you will ever know will come from the wrath you inflict upon others, everything else is just an illusion, it is not for you to keep, it is only more for you to lose." _

_Regina's jaw tightened and she extended her neck forward bringing herself face to face with the man who once could turn the tides of a war with a flick of his wrist. "Are you threatening me?" She challenged, her golden brown eyes alight with a terrifyingly familiar blaze._

"_Oh no Regina." He uttered in a disturbingly clam manner. "I'm merely attempting to remind you of a lesson you learned long ago." He looked into her eyes and held her gaze for several silent heartbeats. "Take some time and consider my offer." He finally proposed with a nod of his head and took a step back. "The pregnant glow flatters you Dearie. I look forward to our next meeting after you've had some time to think." And with that the impish man waved his hand and vanished in a cloud of dark black smoke._

_It took several seconds for Regina to get her body to react in any way other than simply standing and staring at the spot where Gold had been occupying but the moment she did all the fire and ferociousness drained from her eyes and was quickly replaced with complete and utter terror. Gold had come for her and told her his intentions, he told her she was critical to his plans, he had meant for her to join him and she refused his offer. A sickening fear filled the former queen's gut as she felt her knees lack the strength to support her and she was forced to lean heavily upon the corner of the bathroom sink. Her mind replayed the encounter over and over again; she stood by her words no matter what but the threat still loomed over her conscience. Gold knew she was pregnant now, he had said he would be back, he had told her to reconsider her decision. Regina looked down at the sink, her head bowed as she felt tears burn at the corners of her eyes and trail down over her cheeks. She knew Gold, she knew the way he worked and the method he used to categorize friend from foe, he had said she was crucial to his plan, she knew that when he returned she would have the same answer for him, she knew what was brewing in the storm ahead. Her golden brown eyes closed and she let out a small sob her hand pressed against her rounding stomach. She knew Gold, she knew that when he wanted something he would do anything to get it, she knew that in his mind if one did not stand with him then they stood against him, she knew that by refusing his offer she was placing her name on the top of his list. Regina sunk to the ground and held her small baby bump, her cheeks wet with tears and her heart heavy with sorrow because she knew…_

.

.

.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Robin huffed as he patted down his pants and jacket searching each and every pocket of his coat. "Come on! I know I had it when I left the house!" The archer groaned and pulled his jean pockets inside out to find them empty. "Bloody hell!" He hissed and turned to look at the baby seat of the grocery cart in front of him his eyes raking every inch of it. "Oh!" He gasped and reached forward into the purple diaper bag snatching up a piece of paper. "See Danielle, what did I tell you? Papa isn't completely lost without Uncle Jefferson, Uncle David, and Aunt Mary Margret around." The former thief chuckled with a relieved smile and looked at his baby girl lovingly, leaning over quickly and pecking the top of her head with his lips. "Now listen very closely Danny, you and Papa have been assigned a very important quest. We must go forth into the store of groceries and purchase the items that have been listed on this piece of paper." He said in a gentle tone as he leaned in to speak with his daughter.

It had been two months since Robin returned to Storybrooke and not a day had gone by that the archer hadn't tried to spend every moment of it with his little girl. Several times a week Roland would stay over and spend hours admiring and talking to his little sister, clearly enthralled with the idea of being a big brother. Henry would come by during the week too, though the boy had yet to spend a single night at the mansion since Robin's return. The teenager loved his little sister with all his heart, Robin had been told by David and Mary Margret that during the month after Regina's death Henry had spent multiple nights sitting beside Danielle's cradle holding her close promising to never let anything happen to her. It warmed Robin's heart to know that the boy cared so deeply for his adoptive sister and the archer had reminded Henry several times that the mansion was his home too if he ever desired to stay there for however long. But still the offer had yet to be accepted. David, Mary Margret, Emma and Jefferson had become regulars at the mansion however. It was rare for a day to go by that any one of them didn't stop by to check up on things. Jefferson and Grace had even claimed guest rooms and stored several sets of clothes in the drawers just in case they stayed the night. Over all everyone had gotten used to a new daily routine where they each got a chance to help take care of the baby in some way which Robin was grateful for.

Today however the archer wanted a day strictly dedicated to father daughter time, he wanted to be the only one taking care of his little girl today in order to prove to himself and to her that he could do it. "So what do you say Danny? Think we can do it?" He asked the three month old with a smile and held the list in front of her.

With a smile Danielle waved her little arms and her hand patted the piece of paper several times.

Robin grinned and nodded with pride. "That's the spirit Danny!" He beamed and stood up straight putting his hands on the bar of the grocery cart and began walking towards the entrance to the store.

From the moment the pair entered the store however they became surrounded by people wanting to talk to Robin and find out how Danielle was doing or coo at the baby and several even asked if they could hold her. Robin felt like a piece of raw meat being picked at by vultures, all he wanted was some quiet alone time with Danielle but every time he rid himself of one single woman acting as if she cared about Danielle he would turn and find himself being cornered by an old couple who couldn't get enough of the baby.

"Excuse me." He said with as much politeness as he could muster. "I'm afraid we really have to be getting on with our shopping."

"Oh yes of course!" The white haired woman with large circular glasses said with a wide smile at Robin before looking back at Danielle. "Well I hope to see you soon pumpkin." She said and tickled the baby's belly. "Remember if you ever need anything Grammy Goose is just a phone call away." She said and Robin couldn't figure out if she was talking to him or Danielle.

"Thank you, we will." He assured her with a convincing smile. As the old woman waddled away Robin turned the cart and looked down at his daughter. "I think Grammy Goose would be in big trouble if Granny found out someone was trying to take her place as baby sitter." He muttered and was surprised when a cute little laugh hit his ears. Smiling at his daughter he tilted his head and said, "Well I'm glad you agree with your Papa."

Luckily for Robin after the first few waves of people were satisfied, his path freed up quite a bit. Holding onto the list he made his way down the aisles searching for each item and stopping at several points to shake Danielle's rattle or adjust her blankets. He was delighted to find that his little girl seemed very satisfied with his care, each smile making his heart glow with joy. Once they were finished in the store he made sure she was safe and secure in the car, just like Mary Margret had taught him to, before they made their way back to the mansion.

When Robin was putting away the groceries he placed Danielle in her cradle that he kept in the kitchen. The archer moved with soft feet and careful hands as he gently placed glass jars and metal cans soundlessly into the cabinets, making sure not to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere between himself and his daughter. Through the bars of the cradle Robin could see a pair of brown eyes watching him as his little girl lay belly up, her little fists moving against the quilt she lay on. The minute he finished putting the groceries away Robin was at her side placing his hand in the cradle and brushing her fist with his calloused pointer finger. He smiled and gently bit his lower lip as he laughed softly when the tiny fist opened and closed, capturing his finger in its tiny grasp.

The two stayed like that for several minutes, sitting in complete silence simply enjoying each other's presence and love. When Danielle's little mouth opened in a yawn Robin reached down with his big and gentle hands, picking up his daughter to hold her close. He cradled the baby against his chest as he walked up the stairs towards her nursery. He looked down and saw her looking up at him with what almost looked like wonder sparkling in her golden brown eyes.

Once he was in the nursery Robin walked over to the white rocking chair in the corner by her crib and sat down. Slowly her rocked back and forth looking down at his daughter as she lay comfortably in his arms, her little eyes closed as she began to drift off into sleep. "Papa loves you so much Danny." He whispered to her as he rocked back and forth rhythmically. "You are Papa's precious little miracle." He said and gentle kissed her forehead.

Hours later when Mary Margret entered the mansion to check up on the father and daughter she found the place to be filled with silence. As the short haired woman made her way up the stairs to the nursery her heart glowed at what she saw through the cracked door. There slouched in the rocking chair with his head lolled to the side was Robin Hood and in his arms against his chest he held his baby girl. Mary Margret smiled and watched as the pair slept peacefully in the rocking chair, a soft snore escaping Robin every so often as his little girl slept soundly against his chest.

**A/N: HI! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated anything in like months! School and life and stuff got in the way, plus my brain went dark and I couldn't find any muse! I really want to update A Fresh Start but still am looking for muse if you have any ideas for it or any of my other stories that I need to update PLEASE send me a message with your idea! I also am considering instead of doing Regina flash backs and a Robin present moment in the same chapter, I could split them up so one chapter would be Regina and the next would be Robin. I think it might help me update faster, though the chapters would be shorter since it wouldn't be both of them together. Thoughts? I really hope you are all still with me and that you all liked this chapter. Please comment and review. Super sorry for how long it took! Love you all!**


End file.
